


Into Stranger Worlds

by la_muerta



Series: Stranger And Stranger Still [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Asexual Raphael Santiago, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Smut, Mostly Angst?, Past Child Abuse, Shadowhunter Magnus Bane, Warlock Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-12-12 20:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 53,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11744898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta
Summary: "Why did you miss your previous appointment with the Council?""I had a date," Magnus shrugged."You had a- what?" The Inquisitor was staring at him like he had grown an extra head."A date. You know, where you go out to do something fun with someone so you can get to know them better?""You missed your trial by the Mortal Sword, under orders of the Council, because of a girl?" the Inquisitor asked incredulously."Well, a boy, this time. But you get the idea."***Every action has its consequences. When Magnus put the Mortal Cup out of his father's reach, he thought he had bought them all some time. More time to figure out how to stop Asmodeus, more time to figure out how the events of the past would affect their future. What he hadn't counted on, wasAlecrunning out of time...





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

"Please step forward onto the circle of the Speaking Stars."

Magnus stepped on the black marble square embossed with a parabolic design of silver stars. The square was right in front of a long table where the members of the Shadowhunter Council were seated - a Silent Brother wrapped in parchment-coloured robes, Consul Anne Shade, Inquisitor Thaddeus Black, and as per custom, the Head of the Institute he was under, Thora Fell. Behind the table, against the dark wall, hung an enormous double-edged silver sword, point down, its hilt carved in the shape of outspread wings. 

_The Council greets you, Magnus Bane_ , said a voice inside his head. _Do you agree to be tried by the Mortal Sword?_  

"Sure," Magnus shrugged. 

The Silent Brother stood up and retrieved the Sword reverently, and moved to face Magnus, who held both his hands palms-up to receive the sword. As soon as the pure adamas blade touched his hands, Magnus could feel the cold weight of it digging into his flesh, a million tiny hooks that pulled at the very core of his soul. He gritted his teeth and repressed the shudder of pain. 

"You stand before the Council now, charged to recount the events that transpired on Asmodeus Bane's ship after the rest of the shadowhunters were forced to Portal out to defend New York City. By the power of the Sword, do you swear tell the whole truth?"

"No argument from me on that," Magnus replied, fighting to keep his voice neutral. You couldn’t lie while you were holding the Mortal Sword, but it tore the truth out of you forcibly, even if it was a truth you wanted to tell. Magnus imagined this was how a fish felt when it was caught on the line, the fishhook digging in painfully as it was dragged forward.

"Why did you miss your previous appointment with the Council?"

"I had a date," Magnus shrugged.

"You had a- what?" The Inquisitor was staring at him like he had grown an extra head.

"A date. You know, where you go out to do something fun with someone so you can get to know them better?" 

"You missed your trial by the Mortal Sword, under orders of the Council, because of a girl?" the Inquisitor asked incredulously.

"Well, a boy, this time. But you get the idea," Magnus tried not to smirk. Thora was glaring at him with exasperated fondness.

The Inquisitor looked like he had a lot more to say to that, but the Consul cut him off. "Please, Inquisitor, let's not waste everybody's time talking about the boy's love life," she said sharply. "Magnus Bane, please recount the events in a clear and concise manner."

Magnus shrugged and obliged. When he got to the part where Asmodeus had run him through with his sword, Thora gasped in shock.

The Inquisitor pounced on her reaction almost gleefully. "The boy has not mentioned this before?" 

There was no use hiding her grief and shock, so Thora Fell just shook her head mutely.

"Why not?" the Inquisitor pressed, almost leaning off his seat now.  

"Because it would just bring my adoptive mother needless sorrow?" Magnus shot back, clutching the Mortal Sword so hard that the blade was starting to slice into his fingers. "I got better, obviously. There have been no lasting side effects. But she would have been upset to hear that I had been seriously hurt."

"And how did you survive that?" the Inquisitor persisted. "The Hale boy can create new runes, and the Hale girl can move objects with her mind. What powers did your father's experiments bestow you?"

"It didn't give me the power to heal myself, if that's what you're suggesting. And I didn't manifest any powers when I was fighting Asmodeus," Magnus said, choosing his words carefully. "When I was hurt, the High Warlock of Brooklyn rescued me and healed me."

"Why would he do that? Warlocks don't provide their services for free!"

"Because we are friends? Well, actually we're sort of dating now..." 

"You, an angel-blooded warrior chosen by the Angel Raziel, are whoring yourself out to demonspawn for magical favours?!" the Inquisitor roared. "Have you no shame!?" 

"You know, you're sounding a lot like Asmodeus right now," Magnus observed. "Also, you and I have very different ideas of what constitutes 'dating'. I hope you're using protection, I hear demon pox is a real bitch. Oops, didn't mean to say that last bit out loud - I blame the Mortal Sword for removing my brain-to-mouth filter." 

"Insolent boy! You're out of order!"

"No. This whole thing is out of order," Magnus said, his voice suddenly hard. "I risked my life to put the Mortal Cup out of Asmodeus' reach, and here I am, standing trial for - what, exactly? Being the son of an evil man?"

"This is not a trial," Thora said fiercely, glaring at the rest of the Council as if daring them to contradict her. "You have done nothing wrong. We are simply having your statement taken down, with the Mortal Sword as witness, to circumvent questioning from other _unenlightened_ members of the Nephilim who are prejudiced against you because of your blood."

"You are blinded by your love for the boy!" the Inquisitor growled. 

_I disagree,_ the ponderous voice of the Silent Brother cut in, echoing in their minds. _I do not know the boy, but even I do not feel that he is guilty of any wrongdoing._   _Magnus Bane has proven himself a strong warrior, and there is nothing in his testament that suggests he is in league with his father._

Thora Fell looked triumphantly at Inquisitor Black, and Consul Shade nodded her agreement. 

"You are free to go, Magnus Bane."

"I would say it's been a pleasure, but I would be lying," Magnus said, placing the Mortal Sword in the waiting hands of the Silent Brother. He gave a sardonic nod in the Inquisitor's direction, and sauntered off into the waiting darkness of the City of Bones. 

 

Alec pulled his jacket closer around him as he and Isabelle made their way through the winding, well-lit paths of Central Park. This was faerie territory, with one of the entrances to the Seelie Court set under Turtle Pond, but there was a reason why the Fair Folk had chosen to put the entrance to their Land here, and it wasn't just because parks and woodlands were generally affiliated with the faerie. There were a few places in New York where the ley lines - natural underground veins of energy and magic - formed an intersection, and one of these places was marked by Cleopatra’s Needle in Central Park. 

The obelisk was an ancient Egyptian relic, one of a pair - the other one had been placed in Westminister, in London. Together with the other pair of obelisks placed at Paris and Luxor, the four obelisks formed the entrances to the Spiral Labyrinth, the great warlock library where all arcane knowledge was stored. 

As a people, warlocks were generally loners, secretive about their own spells and counterspells. Unlike the vampires, who had complicated sire-fledgling connections, and had been fully human once and perhaps still craved the complexities and entanglements of human relationships, warlocks usually had no such compulsions. They had been born of a violent, traumatic event in the lives of their mothers; most did not survive infancy, especially those with prominent warlock marks. Warlock children were more often killed by the hands of someone who should have loved them unconditionally but could not. Those that did survive often found themselves bearing the brunt of the pain their mothers had gone through, as Alec and Isabelle had, and were eventually abandoned to make their own way in the world. 

Even among warlocks who were friendly with each other, time was such a nebulous thing to a people who had an eternity ahead of them, that it wasn't uncommon for decades to go by without meeting or even thinking about each other. In their world, Alec and Isabelle were an oddity; Alec, Isabelle and Max, had been even more so.

Access to the Spiral Labyrinth was the birthright of every warlock. As disparate a people as they were, with no real allegiances to each other or to any true leader, the Spiral Labyrinth was the one place they had all agreed was precious and belonged fully to them. When Alec had received the fire message calling for the warlock meeting, he had immediately known the reason for it - Simon Lewis's sunlight rune had shaken the Downworld. Langford, he knew, had not survived the demon attack on New York City, so Raj must have broken his oath and told someone about Alec's involvement in the whole business. Alec did not blame him. 

When Alec and Isabelle reached the foot of the obelisk, Alec took out a Swiss Army knife and made a cut on his palm just deep enough for the blood to flow in a steady stream. Izzy placed her hand in the crook of his elbow as he pressed his bleeding palm to the faint spiral carved in the rock - the sigil of the Spiral Labyrinth - and in the blink of an eye, the Lightwood siblings vanished from Central Park. 

 

The Spiral Labyrinth was a sort of pocket dimension that existed outside of the mortal world. Only warlocks were allowed to enter, and anybody who thought it was a good idea to bring a non-warlock friend along would certainly die a horrible death. It had existed long before the Nephilim had existed, and would probably continue to exist even after the world was bereft of shadowhunters. Mostly, it looked like an enormous library, with shelves so high that they disappeared into the shadows of the never-ending ceiling, and an endless number of shelves went on in all directions for as far as the eye could see, and well beyond. One could most certainly get lost in this maze of knowledge, and perhaps that was how it had come to be named the Labyrinth. 

A sort of seating area had been set up, with everyone summoning their own preferred chairs, such that the whole place was a mess of clashing aesthetics and time periods. The general chatter fell into a tense silence when Alec entered the room with Izzy. 

"Raj Ablack claims you are helping the shadowhunters keep secrets that are detrimental to the safety of the Children of Lilith. What do you have to say in your defense, Alec Lightwood?" said a warlock named Victor Aldertree, who Alec knew to be the High Warlock of London. 

"We did not know enough about what was going on when Warlock Ablack was on Asmodeus' ship with the back-up team requested by the Nephilim," Alec shrugged. "Now it appears that Asmodeus experimented on some Nephilim children 20 years ago, and recently he kidnapped some mundane children, turned them into shadowhunters, and experimented on them as well."

"The New York Institute has hired us to study the blood of these children, and work with them to test out the extent of their powers," Isabelle chimed in. "They have agreed, in good faith, to share the results with the Spiral Labyrinth, with the understanding that such knowledge may benefit future generations of shadowhunters and downworlders alike." 

"That is reasonable," agreed a female warlock Alec knew as the High Warlock of Los Angeles, named Lydia Branwell. "With more information, we would better able to assess if they are a threat to the Downworld."

"I am sure all this panic has been caused by the shadowhunter who had the power to bring sunlight in the middle of the night," Isabelle said clearly, addressing all the gathered warlocks. "What you might not know, is that he had someone warn all the vampires who were fighting the demons to take cover, so that they would not be harmed. Surely those are not the actions of someone who means harm to the Downworld."

There was some murmuring at that.

"And what of Asmodeus' son?" Raj challenged.  

"What of him?" Alec spoke sharply. "Are we going to be hypocrites, and judge him by the deeds of his father?" 

"Is the zealot's son one of these special children? What are his abilities, and what would happen if he takes his father's side?" Victor asked. 

"He has no loyalty to his father, and he does not know what his own abilities are yet," Alec said. 

"Are you sure?" Lydia asked skeptically. 

"I can vouch for him," Alec said. 

"Do you really think it wise, to be working with the shadowhunters?" Victor asked. 

"We are stronger together, downworlders and shadowhunters. I intend to keep working with the shadowhunters until we stop Asmodeus once and for all," Alec said firmly. "If you disagree with my methods, then feel free to appoint someone else as the High Warlock of Brooklyn."

"I want you to swear under a _geas_ ," Victor said. There were gasps at that - a _geas_ was not an oath to be undertaken lightly. "Swear that he will not become a threat to the Downworld, or your life will be forfeit.

"Alec!" Izzy protested urgently, but he ignored her panic.

"I swear," Alec said easily.

His words were greeted with silence. Some people looked mollified, but others still looked like they wanted to go another round on this silly argument. Well, Alec didn't have time for this - literally. 

"If anyone has anything else to say, I'm not interested. I am done here." He stalked away from the gathering, leaving Izzy to follow in his wake. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

"Where has that Magnus gone off to again?" Catarina barked out in exasperation. "This is the second time he's missing patrol briefing!"  

"Honestly, I think it's a great improvement. I find it very hard to concentrate on my novel when he's here," Ragnor said. 

"He hasn't just been missing the briefings - he hasn't even been turning up for patrol," Raphael scowled. 

Catarina sighed. "I'm worried about him. I keep feeling like there's something he's hiding from us - he didn't even want to talk about what happened in the City of Bones." 

"Well, he's not alone in that. I tried asking Mother, but she just turned pale and looked sad, and said to give Magnus some time," Ragnor admitted. 

"You're the closest thing he has to a brother - have you tried talking to him?" Catarina asked Ragnor. 

Ragnor shook his head. "You know how he is - if he isn't ready to talk, all you're going to get from him is a load of snark." 

"Gossiping about me, darling?" Magnus grinned as he sauntered up to his friends and gave Cat a peck on her cheek. 

"Just worried about you," Catarina replied frankly. Magnus ducked his head and had the decency to look a bit apologetic.  

"I'm fine," Magnus insisted. "If it were important I would tell you." 

"Are you actually going patrolling with us tonight wearing that?" Raphael wrinkled his nose at Magnus' outfit. It was actually as casual as Magnus got - a soft blue, form-fitting henley with most of the buttons undone and the sleeves pushed up to his forearms, and dark wash jeans that were a shade too tight. 

"Obviously not!" Magnus scoffed, adjusting his ear cuff. "I would never get the ichor out of this."  

"Magnus! We actually still have a job to do, you know?" Catarina scolded. 

"I risked my life to save the world! Don't I get a few days off, at least?" Magnus pouted. 

"Sure, why don't we ask the demons to keep it down for a night so we can all have a break?" Raphael said sarcastically. "In fact, we should make it regular thing - weekends and all major religious holidays. I'll drop them a memo." 

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll go on patrol tomorrow night, ok?" he sighed. "But I have a date tonight." 

"Again? Is it with Alec Lightwood?" Ragnor asked with interest. "I'm surprised he agreed to go on a second date with you."

"Well, technically it's our third date," Magnus grinned a little shyly. 

"Hmm, third date," Ragnor waggled his eyebrows at Magnus.

"Oh, don't be crude," Magnus huffed. "It's not like that with Alexander. We're just going to hang out, get some dinner." 

"Oh ' _dinner_ '. Is that what it's called these days?"

Magnus threw a wad of paper at Ragnor's face. 

"I'm happy for you, Magnus, if he makes you happy," Catarina said with a smile.

"Thank you, Cat," Magnus said with a small genuine smile - none of his brassy facade now. "I know it's early days yet, but... Alexander does make me happy." 

"Wait - are you serious about this relationship?" Ragnor asked, surprised. "I thought it was just a fling."

"I'm always serious about all my relationships!" Magnus said crossly.

"Even Richard?"

"Who?"

"That mundane boy you were with for all of twenty minutes?"

"That was a misunderstanding!"

"Oh, so you accidentally fell onto his lips?"

"No, but I accidentally thought he wasn't a jerk."

“ _Dios_ ,” snapped Raphael. “I am not interested in your sordid encounters or constantly deranged life choices, and I am certainly not interested in your little love affair with the High Warlock of Brooklyn. If you're going for your stupid date, please just go now.” 

"Well, someone has his panties in a twist," Magnus smirked. "Jealous of my flourishing love life? Green really isn't your colour, Raphael."

"That's true - it's more of mine," Ragnor agreed. "Trouble in paradise with our dearest fledgling shadowhunter Simon Lewis?"

"To hell with the both of you," Raphael said venomously, and stalked off in a huff. 

"Look at what you've done - how am I supposed to finish my briefing now?" Catarina said in annoyance.

"You'd better scram before she makes you take Raphael's place," Ragnor told Magnus.

"Well, I know when I'm not wanted," Magnus winked at Ragnor. "Have fun with those duty rosters now, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. I'll leave you two lovebirds to it."

"Lovebirds?" Catarina frowned, looking at Magnus, then Ragnor, who was now blushing. "Oh!"

Ragnor threw the wad of paper back at Magnus, who dodged, cackling madly, and ran off while blowing them both a kiss.

 

"You're doing great, Gretel - now let's just try that one more time, and we'll take a break," Isabelle smiled encouragingly at the little shadowhunter.

She had a stopwatch in one hand, and Simon was helping her jot down how long Gretel took to materialise and dematerialise her talons. In another corner, under a protective bubble, Rebecca, who had been studying biochemistry at college, was helping another child measure the volume of venomous fumes he was able to exhale in one breath. After they were done helping the children for the day, Isabelle would turn her attention to Rebecca, helping her gain better control of her telekinesis, while Simon sat at a table with a pencil and a stack of paper and tried to come up with a rune for breathing underwater.

They'd been doing this for almost a week now, twice a week. While the children were certainly getting better at controlling their powers, they were getting fainter, as Isabelle had predicted. Rebecca, on the other hand, had been able to lift heavier and heavier objects with her mind, and move them with a lot more accuracy. Simon still wasn't having any luck with trying to create the new rune, but then again the runes usually came to him suddenly - this was the first time he was actually trying to create something specific. 

"Why don't you come home with me tonight? Maybe a change of scenery will do you good," Isabelle suggested to Simon with a wink. "I have a lovely place in the Maldives, right on the beach. Maybe you need to be near water, for inspiration, you know?"

"You have a beach house in the Maldives?" Simon asked in amazement.

"Well, when you have an eternity to acquire wealth..." Isabelle shrugged. "Besides, I want to stay out of the Brooklyn apartment tonight. Alec is having Magnus over - I wouldn't want to get in the way of my brother finally popping his cherry." 

"Wait - are you telling me that Alec is a 400-year-old virgin?" Simon looked stunned.  

"You didn't hear it from me," Isabelle laughed.

"That certainly explains why he's always so grumpy," Simon muttered. "Talk about repressed."

"So, how about it?" Isabelle asked, draping herself over the back of Simon's chair.

Normal hot-blooded teenagers like Simon did not reject the advances of a girl as hot as Isabelle, who was so far out of his league he was surprised she even noticed he existed. But Isabelle also seemed like she was the type to rip out his heart and walk on it in her high-heeled boots. And then there was the matter of the witchlight rune-stone from Raphael, which weighed heavily in Simon's pocket. 

"Um, raincheck? I'm kind of beat tonight," Simon said apologetically. 

 

Magnus was humming under his breath when he made his way up to Alec's apartment. He hadn't even needed to press the buzzer - the door had opened for him at a touch. Alec must have adjusted his wards to automatically let Magnus in. 

The apartment door at the top of the stairs had been left wide open. Magnus popped his head in - he hadn't been here since the night on Asmodeus' ship, and he had been pretty out of it then. Alec had done some redecorating recently, it seemed. Not only was the couch gone - Alec had stripped the carpeting off the entire apartment as well, leaving the concrete floor raw and bare. It was a rather bold decorating choice, leaving the place a bit cold and edgy, which didn't seem at all like Alec - in fact, Magnus wasn't even sure Alec knew what interior design was. 

"Alexander?"

There was an amazing smell wafting through through the apartment, something tangy and rich. When Alec had suggested having dinner in, he had been expecting takeout - Magnus hadn't expected Alec to actually cook them dinner, and it made him feel all fuzzy inside.  

"I'm almost done," Alec called out from the kitchen. "Why don't you take a seat first." 

"On what?" Magnus murmured in amusement as he glanced around the rather spare apartment. He shrugged and sat down on the bare concrete floor - at least it wasn't too cold yet, even though autumn was almost upon them. A flash of white caught his eye, then a plaintive mew - it was a grey and white kitten, barely larger than a guinea pig.

"Oh, hello there," Magnus cooed in delight. "Would you be the infamous Great Catsby, then? Looks like you've got a while before you grow into your name properly, huh?"

The kitten came nosing around, and Magnus picked it up, not even caring that the white fur was shedding all over his dark jeans. It settled into his lap contentedly and started kneading Magnus' jeans with its little paws, much to Magnus' delight, and the shadowhunter immediately set to scratching its chin and behind its ears until it was a purring ball of happy fluff.

"Magnus, why are you sitting on the floor?" Alec frowned as he came into the room.

Magnus raised an eyebrow at Alec, and he flushed, as if suddenly noticing the lack of furniture in his house. 

"Um, I'll just..." Alec snapped his fingers and a black utilitarian couch appeared out of nowhere, startling the kitten on Magnus' lap. 

Magnus stared at him. “Did you just steal a couch?”

"I magicked some money into the register," Alec said sheepishly. 

Magnus laughed. "Well, you startled the Great Catsby."

"Oh that's not the Great Catsby, he's hiding under my bed," Alec said. "The kitten is new. There was a new litter at the grocers, the owner said I could have one."

"Oh! Does he have a name?"

"Not yet. You mentioned that you've always wanted a cat, but that you weren't allowed pets in the Institute. I thought you might want to do the honours," Alec said.

"You... Alexander, did you adopt a kitten for me?"

Alec didn't answer, but the faint blush that was rising to his cheeks was answer enough. Magnus was speechless. 

"You can keep him here," Alec said, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "I thought the Great Catsby needed some company, anyway."

"And I'll have to drop by more often to spend some time with my cat, won't I?" Magnus grinned. Alec gave him a small grin in return.

Magnus got up from the floor with all the grace of a shadowhunter, the kitten still cradled in his arms, and sprawled himself on the couch, his long legs stretched out in front of him. "I think I'll name him Chairman Meow," Magnus said decidedly, and Alec snorted.  

"What's for dinner? It smells amazing." 

"Chicken cacciatore," Alec said a little shyly as he settled down next to Magnus on the couch. "But it's going to take a little while more. Do you want to do something while we wait? Watch television or something...?"

"Or we could just make out," Magnus suggested slyly.

"We could, but I probably wouldn't be any good at it, as I've never done it before," Alec said evenly.

Magnus froze for a split second, then set the kitten down on the floor, ignoring its protests. “Never kissed anyone?” Magnus asked. “No one at all?”

Alec shook his head, his face flushed but meeting Magnus' gaze squarely.

"That is a travesty, Alexander," Magnus murmured. He reached out and put one hand to Alec’s cheek, his thumb brushing along the cheekbone, and Alec shuddered.

Magnus leaned closer to Alec, moving slowly to give Alec the opportunity to back away if he wanted to. Alec's breath hitched in his throat, but he seemed to have frozen in place. Magnus paused again, waiting for Alec to give a sign, any sign, that he was ok with this, when Alec surged forward and closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Magnus' in a clumsy but firm kiss. 

Alec's lips were soft, softer than Magnus had imagined, and what he lacked in finesse he made up with in enthusiasm. They fit together perfectly, and Magnus felt like his every nerve ending was on fire. He tilted his head up to deepen the kiss, his tongue swiping at Alec's bottom lip, coaxing his lips apart so he could explore Alec's mouth properly. The kiss twisted between them with wondrous urgency, and all he could think about was the taste of Alec in his mouth and the feeling of Alec's muscled body pressed up again him. Then Magnus felt Alec's hands sliding up under his shirt and he jerked in surprise, breaking the kiss.

"Woah there," Magnus laughed a little breathlessly. "I mean, not that I'm complaining, but... are you sure this is what you want, Alexander?"

Alec was panting like he had just finished running a marathon, his eyes wild and his hair standing up on end. He was visibly struggling to get himself under control again. "Maybe you're right," he finally conceded. 

"Hey," Magnus said gently, grasping Alec's hand in his own. "You know you don't have to prove anything to me, right?"

"Yeah," Alec said, with that lopsided grin that made Magnus' heart skip a beat.

"Well, you've slaved all day over a hot stove - I'd hate for your effort to go to waste," Magnus teased. "How about we have dinner first, and then... well, I'm not saying you're not a natural at kissing, but perhaps a bit more practice wouldn't hurt." 

Alec laughed and ducked his head. "Right, dinner. And then we'll see."

"We'll see," Magnus agreed, his eyes lighting up mischievously. "And that's a promise, Alexander." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That must be the fluffiest thing I've ever written in my life.
> 
> Anyway. I'm writing this fic and [this fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11706603/chapters/26362647) simultaneously, so I'll probably alternate updates pretty evenly between the two. That translates to roughly one chapter for each fic every week.
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting!


	3. Chapter 3

 

"Hey, is now a bad time?" Simon asked nervously.

Raphael had been going at the punching bag in the training room like it had personally offended him. He spared a glance at Simon, grunted, then went back to beating the crap out of the thing. Simon scratched his head - so was that a yes or a no? 

"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you, but there's been all those tests with Izzy..."

"Oh it's 'Izzy' now, is it? Taking a leaf from Magnus and getting cozy with warlocks?"

"What's gotten into you?" Simon frowned. Raphael shook his head, like someone trying to dislodge water from their ears. 

"What did you want, then?" he barked. 

"I wanted to give this back to you," Simon said, holding out the witchlight rune-stone. "I mean, Magnus said it was your mum's, and I figured from the way he said it that your mum isn't around anymore. It doesn't feel right for me to have this."

Raphael stared at the stone in Simon's hand for a long time. "Did you know what some Nephilim call people like you and me, people with one shadowhunter parent and one mundane parent?"

"Um, no. Mostly they call me the 'Hale boy'," Simon said.

Raphael snorted. "Maybe you're lucky - at least you have some idea of where you place in the illustrious Nephilim family tree."

"Did you not know who your father was?" Simon asked timidly.

"My father was Luis Santiago. My mother was Guadalupe Rosales. My father was a mundane, and my mother was a shadowhunter who didn't know she was a shadowhunter - she was an orphan, you see, ended up in a mundane orphanage with nothing on her except a pretty pebble that would only light up for her, and she was adopted by a mundane family."

"So what do they call people like us?" Simon asked softly.

"Half-breeds," Raphael said, his face twisting into a humourless smile. 

"Ouch. It's the mudblood thing all over again."

"Hmmm 'mudblood' is a nice one. Dirty blood, eh?" Raphael said musingly. "Although you and your sister probably don't count now. You have pure angel blood. You are closer to the angels than the rest of us will ever be."

"Is this why you've been avoiding me?" Simon huffed. "Dude, you're like my Obi-wan. I probably wouldn't even be alive if you hadn't taught me the way of the Force. I'm not going to start looking down on you or something. And don't look at me like that - I will make you understand exactly what that sentence meant because I'm going to make the lot of you watch all the _Star Wars_ movies if it's the last thing I do." 

Raphael shrugged noncommittally, a funny half-smile on his lips like he was trying not to laugh at Simon. 

"Keep the stone," he said. "I think my mother would have liked you to have it. She would have found you amusing."

"What about you?"

"I have this," Raphael pulled away the collar of his T-shirt to show Simon a small gold cross on a chain. "It saved my life when I was nine."

"What happened?" Simon asked. "I mean, if you're alright with telling me, of course."

"My whole family was killed by vampires," Raphael said. "There were six of them. My uncle and father were home from work, but they were only human. My mother was very pregnant at the time, and my baby sister Rosa was only five - Nephilim or not, it didn't save them. But this cross - this cross gave me a chance."

"I hope you killed the lot of them," Simon said quietly. 

"I did," Raphael smiled coldly. "And that's how the shadowhunters found me." 

"You killed six vampires single-handedly when you were 9 years old?! Dude, screw the idiots who look down on you, that was _badass_. Us half-breeds are going to reclaim that term and wear it with pride." 

"Mudblood and proud of it," Raphael grinned.

"Oh that's a good one, I'm going to make us T-shirts," Simon grinned back.

Just then, Catarina poked her head through the door of the training room. "Oh, there you are, Simon! I've been looking all over for you."

"What's up?" Simon greeted her.

"I've already spoken to Rebecca, and I'm trying to get hold of Magnus... Well, I requested an audience with the Seelie Queen to discuss if the nixies and other water spirits might help us locate the Mortal Cup. But she said she'll only meet with Asmodeus' experiments."

"Charming nickname," Simon wrinkled his nose. "I like her already."

Raphael did not look amused. "Only the three of them? That's too risky, Catarina."

"How bad can it be?" Simon said, remembering the hippies he had seen fighting the demons on the streets with vines. 

"Faeries have the beauty of angels and the viciousness of demons. She might not look it, but the Seelie Queen is dangerous. Usually she likes to drive at least a few humans to screaming madness every day before breakfast," Raphael said seriously.

"We have protections, runes that protect against faerie enchantments and glamour," Catarina assured Simon. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be careful. Seelies can't lie, but they live for hundreds of years, and they are as cunning as snakes." 

"Never trust a people who can't lie. They find much more inventive ways to stab you in the back," Raphael agreed. "They're not really about helping people - more like harm disguised as help. They'll find out what you want most in the whole world, and give it to you with a poisonous sting attached to it that'll make you regret you ever wanted it in the first place." 

"Ok... Then why are we going to them for help?"

"We wouldn't be going to them if we didn't have any other choice," Catarina frowned. 

"I can't wait," Simon sighed. "When do we leave?"

  

A sharp wind had come up - autumn was coming. It blew drying leaves across the gravel at their feet and made Simon shiver. He dug his hands into the wool-lined pockets of his jacket. Although she wouldn't be able to go to the Seelie Court with them, Catarina had insisted on accompanying them to the entrance at least - which was apparently at Turtle Pond in Central Park. There was a full moon tonight - it reflected oddly on the rippling surface of the Pond, as if it was a ball of light floating on the smooth surface. 

"You're late," Catarina frowned as Magnus strolled towards them. 

"Am I?" Magnus was grinning like the cat that had finally gotten the canary. 

"Is that cat fur on your shirt? And what's that on your neck?" Simon frowned.  

"My warlock mark," Magnus quipped with a wink. 

"By the Angel! Too much information, Magnus," Catarina groaned, and Magnus laughed. "You'd better cover that up. You know the Queen will use any weaknesses against you." 

"It's not a weakness, it's a strength," Magnus grinned.

"Who would have known you'd be such a sap when you finally fell in love properly," Catarina teased.

"Haha," Magnus stuck out his tongue at her, but Simon couldn't help but notice that he was still smiling.

Simon had never thought of Magnus as being sad, exactly, but now that he was with Alec the difference was clear - there was a joyfulness about him now, a lightness of being. Raphael couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him these days, as if he was afraid a happiness so complete might be contagious.

"Alright, alright. You'd better get going, you only have until the moon moves," Catarina said with a shooing motion.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? This was starting to feel very _Lord of the Rings_. Were there going to be secret faerie words that could only be seen by moonlight or something?

Magnus shrugged and started wading into the Pond, heedless of the mud and freezing water. Simon looked to Catarina for an explanation, but she simply smiled and indicated that he and Rebecca should follow Magnus.

By the time Magnus stopped, they were waist-deep in the Pond and Simon was shivering. Something brushed his leg underwater - he hoped it was just a fish. Please let it be a fish. Were there fish in Turtle Pond, or just turtles? Come to think of it, Simon had only really ever noticed the ducks. They were very near that odd reflection of the moon now. Wasn't the reflection supposed to move away as you approached?

"Watch," Magnus grinned, and stepped into the reflection of the moon - and vanished.

"What the...?" Rebecca gasped.

"Remember, don't eat or drink anything when you are in the Seelie realm, no matter how small," Catarina reminded them anxiously.  

"Ok. Sure," Simon nodded, and exchanged a nervous glance with Rebecca. Their hands found each other's, and they stepped into the reflection of the moon.

 

Simon and Rebecca stumbled into the Seelie realm still holding hands. It made Simon think of Hansel and Gretel, lost in the woods. It was snowing in the Seelie realm, the sort of fluffy, airy snow that only happened in movies, and when it fell to the ground it stayed thick and white, and didn't become muddy slush. The trees all around them were tall and gnarly, the bark on their trunks so dark they were almost black, so that the entire landscape felt like a black-and-white photograph. There was no sun in the sky, and either they had happened to enter the realm very early in the morning or evening, or the Seelie realm was just permanently frozen in what Simon knew was called "the blue hour" - that in-between time before the the sun had truly risen or set. It made the place feel eerie and unreal - it was like being dropped into a fairy tale, which he supposed made sense considering fairies actually lived here.

It would have been quite enchanting if Simon's jeans hadn't been dripping with muddy pond water. Simon shivered and wondered if he would be better off with or without his half-sodden jacket. He was surprised Magnus wasn't already making a fuss about the state of his clothes or hair. He turned to him and his jaw dropped. 

"You're completely dry. Why are you completely dry?" Simon stared. Wait, was this Magnus' angelic power? Although it seemed like an awfully frivolous manifestation of angelic abilities. 

"When Alexander heard that I had to go to the Seelie Court, he charmed my clothes so they would stay dry and warm," Magnus said smugly. "Perks of having a warlock boyfriend." 

Magnus shrugged off his dry jacket and handed it to Rebecca. 

"You know, for someone who usually wears so many unnecessary layers, couldn't you have chosen today to wear an extra jacket or two?" Simon grumbled. 

"Next time you can just ask the delightful Isabelle for your own keep-dry spell," Magnus replied sweetly. "Or you know, maybe there's a rune for that, if only you could actually come up with them when we need them." 

"Fuck you very much, Bane," Simon said without any real heat. 

"I thought Fairyland was going to be all flowers and sunshine and butterflies," Rebecca said, her teeth still chattering. 

"Sorry, darling - this isn't the kind of fairy story where the prince marries the princess and they live happily ever after," Magnus said, not unkindly. "I'm afraid it's more of the original version, where the wicked step sisters have their toes cut off and their feet shoved into red-hot iron shoes, and they are sentenced to dance until they die." 

"Thank you so much for that heart-warming tale," Simon said drily. "I feel so much better about this mission now."

"You're welcome," Magnus said cheerfully. "Now let's keep moving - perhaps it'll help you two warm up."

They walked in the dark woods for about half an hour before they saw a light ahead, and by then the lower half of Simon's body was like an icicle and he was sure he had lost all his toes to frostbite. From this distance, Simon could see a lovely bonfire with people dancing around it. He was so cold, he was moving towards it before he could even think about it. As they got closer, Simon could hear music as well, a strange sweet melody that made his mind feel hazy. The fair folk dancing around the fire were fair indeed, with pale beautiful faces and hair in every shimmering shade imaginable, their clothes and hair decorated with leaves and flowers. When they danced, their feet barely seemed to touch the ground. He felt the urge to dance with them too, to feel so light and free - 

Magnus jerked him back, with a firm grip on his arm. Simon groggily noticed that Magnus was holding on to Rebecca as well.

"I wasn't joking just now, when I said this story would end with you dancing until you die," Magnus said sternly. 

Simon's head was swimming, but he nodded, fumbling at his belt for his stele. He completed the rune Catarina had showed him earlier, and everything suddenly snapped into sharp focus - the music was still lovely but also discordant, the faerie faces still beautiful but also cruel and mocking. Some of the dancers who were dancing weren't faeries at all, but greenish corpses with their faces frozen in expressions of rapture. 

As they stepped closer into the light of the bonfire, a faerie dressed in brown bark-like armour approached them. He was tall and wiry, with long white-gold hair and blue-green eyes that reminded Simon of the ocean. There was something ageless about him, and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Simon noticed that he wore an arrow-head around his neck like a pendant. 

"I am Miach," he introduced himself with a smile. "Our Queen has been waiting for you."


	4. Chapter 4

   

Miach led them past the clearing with the bonfire and the dancing figures, down a long path lined with trees that had bent to form a natural green tunnel, and into a leafy bower where a beautiful young woman was reclining on a bed made from gossamer and bird feathers of every shape and colour. Will-o'-wisps glowed in little colourful fabric lanterns. The woman - or girl, as she looked about their age - was surrounded by a motley assortment of tiny sprites and faerie girls, who were gazing up at her in adoration as she spoke to them. 

"My Queen," said Miach, bowing low. "I have brought the Nephilim to you." 

"Well met, milady," Magnus bowed low.

He shot Simon and Rebecca a look, and they quickly followed his example. Catarina had given them a thorough briefing on Seelie Court etiquette, and Simon suddenly wished he'd been allowed to bring his notes. 

The Queen had long black hair that fell almost to her knees, and on it rested a crown made from autumn leaves. Her black eyes were cold and razor-sharp. She was petite and slender, had a sharp pointed face and pale skin smooth like white marble, and she was wearing a gown that was the deep pink of a camellia blossom - that in fact looked like it had been made with camellia petals. 

"Magnus," she purred. "I have missed your pretty manners. It seems like it was only yesterday that I last saw you, but time passes differently for my kind."

"Indeed, milady," Magnus agreed with a polite smile. "It's been a couple of years now."

"Ah. You were but a boy then, but now you are a man," she smiled. "Come, sit beside me. Eat something. Drink. Rest yourselves. Talk is better with wet lips."

Simon and Rebecca shot Magnus a panicked look, and he whispered to them, "Just sit down and don't touch anything." 

One of her courtiers led them to a pile of comfortable silky cushions near the Queen's bed, and Simon settled gingerly on one while the other courtiers set the table with glistening berries and warm bread split with honey, and mugs of hot drinks that smelled deliciously spicy. Simon was so cold, he couldn't resist putting his hands around the mug to warm them up, ignoring the look of warning from Magnus. He wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to actually _drink_ it. 

"Milady, we have come to the Court today to seek a boon from you," Magnus began, but the Queen simply laughed and placed a hand on his thigh. Simon could see Magnus tensing up. 

"Discussing business, already? One would think you only came to me when you needed favours," she said. 

"What would you rather talk about then, milady?" Magnus replied evenly. 

"I would like to know more about Asmodeus' experiments," she said. She turned to Simon and Rebecca. "I hear that one of you can move objects with your mind, and the other has the gift of words that cannot be spoken. Don't be shy, show me what it can do." 

"We're still learning how it works," Magnus cut in smoothly. "They are taking lessons."

"Are you?" the Queen raised an eyebrow. "And what of you, Magnus? What special talents do you have?"

"Alas, milady, I seem to have drawn the short end of the stick. I have no special talents," Magnus said with a charming smile and self-depreciating shrug.

"Is that so?" the Queen was looking at Magnus with a predatory expression.

Simon shifted uncomfortably in his seat, jolting his mug a little. Some of it slopped over the side, making his fingers sticky. Simon had his finger in his mouth before he had even realised what he was doing. He froze, the rich taste of the spiced mead turning bitter on his tongue. Maybe nobody had noticed? He hurriedly wiped his hand on his muddy jeans.  

"Milady, we know you are as wise as you are beautiful, and that you know everything that goes on in this realm as well as ours," Magnus was saying. "You may have heard that Asmodeus Bane was in possession of the Mortal Cup, but that he lost it again recently."

"I did, and I hear that you were the hero of the hour," the Queen said with another coy smile at Magnus. 

Magnus smiled tightly and nodded his acknowledgement. "We were hoping that you would help us retrieve the Cup before Asmodeus gets his hands on it again."

"Why should I help you?" the Queen asked shrewdly.

"Asmodeus is going to use the Cup to summon an army of demons!" Rebecca said. "Surely you don't want that to happen?"

"Demons are your charge, are they not, Shadowhunter?" said the Queen coldly, as her courtiers tittered behind her. "Is that not why you hold authority over us all? Because you are the ones who slay demons? Remember, Shadowhunter, there are those of us who chafe under the rule of the Clave. Perhaps we are tired of fighting your wars for you."

"But it isn't our war alone," pointed out Rebecca. "Asmodeus hates downworlders more than he hates demons. He'll go after you too." 

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "Then perhaps I should find the Cup for myself, and keep it out of Shadowhunter hands for good. After all, she who controls the Mortal Cup controls the Shadow World."

"Can she do that?" Rebecca hissed under her breath at Magnus.

"You forget, that of all the downworlders, Seelies are angel-blooded as well," the Queen said smugly.

"Milady," Magnus said placatingly. "If you decide to take the Cup, you will draw the ire of the Clave, and Asmodeus and all the other downworld factions will come to your land to fight for the Cup. You will invite war to your doorstep, and there are always casualties in war. Why spill faerie blood unnecessarily, when we shadowhunters have sworn to give our lives to protect the downworld?" 

The Queen laughed at that. "You really have pretty manners, Magnus, and I cannot say I am not enjoying them."

She took a dainty bite of a berry, staining her lips blood red. "I know what you are seeking, but I'm afraid I cannot help you. What lies beneath the water is beyond my power."

Magnus frowned. "But the nixies, and mermaids..."

"They fall under my rule, but they only call the water their home by leave of the White Lady."

"Who?" 

"Tethys," the Queen said. 

"As in the titan goddess of the sea, from Greek mythology?" Magnus asked in confusion. "I mean, sure, we know angels and demons exist, but gods? Not so much."

The Queen raised her shoulder in an elegant shrug. "What is that phrase you Nephilim use... all the stories are true? Tethys is a giantess, as old as the Earth herself, and powerful. All the creatures of the sea pay fealty to her."

Magnus exchanged a look with Simon and Rebecca. He hadn't heard of it, but he wasn't the scholar in their team. Anyway, Seelies could not lie. They would have to go back to the Institute to find out more. 

"Thank you, milady. You have given us a lot to consider," Magnus said politely. "We must return to our friends quickly, to share the news," he added, rising from the cushions. 

"A moment." The Queen smiled. "One of you must remain."

Magnus paused. "What do you mean?" 

She stretched out one hand to indicate Simon, whose heart was pounding in his ears. "Once our food or drink passes mortal lips, the mortal is ours. You know that, Shadowhunter."

Simon turned towards his sister and Magnus, stricken. "It's true. I spilled my drink, and I licked it off my finger before I could think of what I was doing."

"For the love of the Angel!" Magnus said furiously. 

"It doesn't have to be him who remains," the Queen said slyly. "I would much prefer having Magnus here with me."

"I'm afraid my heart is already spoken for, milady," Magnus replied a little curtly. 

The Queen’s eyes flashed. A moment later Magnus staggered back with a cry. The skin on his hands were wrinkling and his fingers were warping with arthritis, his back bent double as if a great force was pushing him down, his hair greying and thinning, and his eyes clouding with cataracts. In a moment, Magnus was an old man. 

“How swift mortal loveliness does fade,” the Queen gloated. “I give you a glimpse of yourself in a mere threescore years. What will your warlock lover say then of your beauty? What can he give you? Forty years, fifty, before death takes you. But I - I can give you all of eternity. You know it can be done, in the lands of the fey. As long as you stay by my side, time will stand still for you, and you will be young forever.”

Magnus was trembling. It took a while for Simon to realise that he was laughing. Rebecca had stepped quickly to Magnus' side to take his arm, but he patted her hand gently. “It’s nothing. It’s just a glamour.”

"That just goes to show how little you know of love," Magnus told the Queen, his voice weak with age but still steely with determination. "Alexander doesn't care what I'll look like when I'm eighty. To be honest, I think he'd be delighted if I managed to live till I was eighty. And I most certainly don't want to live forever, not if it means being stuck in this place with you."

"In my very long life, nobody has ever dared to reject me," the Queen said, her voice tight with anger.

Suddenly, a rune flashed in Simon's mind. He swallowed. He had a very good idea what it did.

"Look, if I show you a new rune, something nobody has ever seen before, will you take the glamour off Magnus and let all of us go?" Simon asked. "I mean, you guys like information, right, secrets? Will you accept that as payment?" 

"A new rune?" the Queen was looking very interested indeed. "Very well." She snapped her fingers, and Magnus was himself again.

"Alright, here goes," Simon said, and placed the tip of his stele on the ground. He drew the twisting harsh shape - and the grass beneath the rune immediately began to char, as if he had poured acid on the ground. It spread quickly, a ragged circle of diseased-looking land. The first tree it touched crumbled into ash within seconds.

The Queen gave a bloody-curdling shriek, and all her courtiers began to flee. "Stop! Make it stop!"

Simon quickly slashed through the rune with his stele, and he was left standing in the middle of a circle of blighted land. Magnus and Rebecca were looking at him in shock.

"Can we leave now?" Simon asked. A squadron of faerie warriors had arrived, surrounding their queen, their weapons at the ready.

"Go!" the Queen screamed, her face a mask of fear and anger. "Leave and never darken my lands with your cursed presence again!"

"Milady," Magnus bowed at her mockingly, and grabbed Simon and Rebecca. "We've got to get out of here quickly," he told them in an undertone. "We've made a dangerous enemy in the Queen."

"Magnus Bane," the Queen called after them. "A word of advice for you: love makes liars of us all." She said it viciously, as if she was having her revenge after Simon's little demonstration, but it made no sense to Magnus at all. 

Magnus shrugged and dragged the Lewis siblings after him.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

"Hey Chairman. Oh, I've missed you, sweetheart. Have you been a good little kitten for Alexander?" Magnus cooed as he entered Alec's apartment, scooping up the kitten that had come around to greet him at the door. 

"Magnus, you were just here a few hours ago," Alec said, poking his head out from his study. "Is everything ok? How was the Seelie Court?" 

Magnus snorted. "Yes, it went fabulously. Simon accidentally ate something, the Queen turned me into an old man when I refused her advances, and Simon saved the day by scorching the Seelie Court with a rune that left a circle of barren land. On the bright side, we are no longer allowed back into the Court."

"Are you alright?" Alec asked, brows furrowed, crossing the hall with his long strides.

"I'm fine," Magnus assured him, setting Chairman Meow down and pecking Alec briefly on the lips.

"What's this about the Queen turning you into an old man?" Alec frowned. "Why would she do that?"

"I was 18, when I visited the Seelie Court for the first time. The Queen took a fancy to me, and I'm afraid it went to my head," Magnus admitted, embarrassed. "I may have flirted a bit outrageously with her. I'm sorry if that's weird." 

Alec shook his head, smiling. "No, you know that I don't care. Why an old man, though? I thought turning people into bugs was more her style." 

"She knows about our relationship," Magnus explained. "She was trying to make me feel insecure about your immortality, I guess."

"And do you?"

Magnus shrugged. "We all have that one lifetime, Alexander. No matter how long or short, we can only make the best of it. Who knows what might happen tomorrow?"

"Indeed," Alec agreed, smiling a little sadly. 

"Well, enough of that. I was going to take you out for Thai - I bet you haven't eaten." 

"Oh. Um. Well, actually, my potion needs watching..." Alec said, glancing back at his study as if he had just remembered it.

Magnus smiled. "Then we'll order in. Now go do your job, High Warlock. I'm not going anywhere."

 

 

"Perhaps we have stumbled upon the solution to our problem," Ragnor said brightly. "All we need to do is tie Simon up and drop him off one of the piers, and he'll have to come up with a rune for breathing underwater out of sheer necessity."  

"This is not a laughing matter, Ragnor," Thora Fell sighed. "While I'm very happy none of you had to be left behind in the Court, I wish it hadn't come to this."

"Well, good riddance - who needs the Seelie Queen's help anyway?" Raphael said. "Half the answers she gives us are riddles, and the other half usually turn out to be an even bigger problem than the original one."

"I don't know, this thing about Tethys looks promising," Ragnor said.

He was surrounded by stacks of books from the Institute library, and the laptop in front of him had about twenty tabs from the Institute database open on the screen. His father had seemed equally enthused about the prospect of research on completely unknown territory, and was somewhere else sending fire messages for rare books that might help them.

"Really?" Simon said hopefully, still a little shamefaced after he had had to recount the events that had happened in the Seelie Court. But if they'd managed to get some useful information from the whole fiasco, at least he wouldn't feel so bad.

"We Nephilim have very little to do with the supernatural creatures of the deep," Thora frowned. "Other than the occasional cases of mermaids drowning mundanes or sea monsters destroying ships, they keep to the oceans and we keep to the land."

"But something has to be policing what goes on underwater," Ragnor said reasonably. "The Queen doesn't bother keeping the mermaids and nixies in check, and I doubt the monsters and sea demons would be satisfied with only taking down a couple of ships every year if someone wasn't keeping their numbers down."

"So... you're saying you think there's some underwater version of shadowhunters?" Rebecca suggested. 

"Well, in the Greek legends, Tethys had 3,000 daughters and 3,000 sons - the oceanides and the potamoi," Sigurd Fell replied, returning to library with his arms full of ancient-looking tomes. 

"Wait - the Seelie Queen said Tethys was a giantess. Does that mean there are thousands of giants living in the oceans?" Simon yelped. "Like super-sized shadowhunters?" 

"That'd be a sight," Ragnor grinned.

"Don't get carried away," Thora warned. "You are making assumptions that whatever is down there are similar to us. They may not be friendly to us, or even be harbouring good intentions. We were charged by the Angel Raziel to stand against the forces of darkness, but these creatures or beings, if they exist, may have their own reasons for keeping the creatures of the deep in check."

"In fact," Catarina said slowly, "they might have their own reasons for wanting to keep the Mortal Cup to themselves. Think about it - the Centurions searched the waters surrounding New York City for three days and three nights. They didn't find anything, but maybe that's because there was nothing to _be_ found." 

"Okay - having to _fight_ super-sized underwater shadowhunters to get back that Cup? A lot less awesome," Simon admitted. 

Raphael smiled humourlessly. "Remember what I said about gifts from the Seelie Queen? That they always have a venomous sting in the tail?" 

"Let's leave Sigurd and Ragnor to their research before we jump to any conclusions," Thora said tiredly. "Where's Magnus? I haven't seen him in the Institute in a few days. Please don't tell me he's gone out on patrol alone again."

"No, he's busy canoodling with his boyfriend," Ragnor replied absent-mindedly, already deep in a book. "He's practically moved in with Alec now - half his wardrobe has already migrated there, and poor Isabelle has had to move to their other apartment in Upper East Side."

"Oh!" Thora said in surprise. She exchanged a look with Sigurd.

"The children were never going to remain children forever," Sigurd said gently, putting an arm around his wife. 

"No, I know that," Thora said with a slightly watery smile. "It just seems only yesterday that he was just a boy..."

"Guys, why are you acting like Magnus is going to get married? He's been dating Alec for all of, what, a month?" Simon said. 

"No, we don't mean that," Thora laughed. "As you say, their love is young. I just never thought Magnus would open himself up to the possibility of a serious relationship. That boy has always been so closed-off..."

"Who knows what might happen?" Sigurd smiled. "We got married six months after we first met." Thora smiled back at her husband, and it would have been all very sweet if Ragnor hadn't been making a face behind them. 

"Six months? Isn't that a bit quick?" Rebecca said. 

"Shadowhunters marry young, and we have children young, because we might die young, and because we want to do our duty to the world and have all the love we can," Sigurd shrugged. "When we fall in love, we tend to fall hard, and with everything we have to give."

"That sounds intense," Rebecca frowned. 

"Maybe one day you will understand," Sigurd replied smiling. Ragnor and Catarina were very pointedly not looking in each other's directions.

Rebecca smiled politely and shrugged. "Maybe."

When everyone had gone back to helping Sigurd and Ragnor pick through the mountain of research material, Simon noticed his sister slipping out of the room quietly.

"You have to talk to her," Thora told him quietly. "Don't you see that your sister is miserable here? Catarina and I have both tried to approach her, but she will not talk to us."

"I know," Simon said. "But there have been so many things going on..."

"Nothing is more important than family," Thora smiled. "I think we will be able to manage without you for a while. Didn't you see Ragnor and Sigurd behaving as if their birthdays had come early this year? Go look after your sister."

 

 

After dinner, Magnus amused himself with cat toys for Chairman Meow and cat treats placed at strategic locations in an attempt to lure the Great Catsby out from under the sofa while Alec put the finishing touches to his potion.

His mind kept wandering back to the Seelie Queen's parting shot. He was starting to wonder if she somehow knew about what he had done on Asmodeus' ship when faced with the fear demon - that magical fire that he had produced, because ordinary fire didn't burn demons. Who would have known about it, though? The flying demons that he suspected had been circling in the sky the whole time? 

Truth be told, he hadn't even been able to recreate that tingling feeling and that fire that had burned inside him since he had left the ship. He could tell Alec about it, and that would be that - Alec might even offer to help him learn how to control it. The only thing really holding him back was the horror of the memory, of watching his mother's face twisted in agony, even though he knew that it had only been an illusion. Where love figured in this, though, he didn't understand. Keeping this secret from Alec wasn't hurting him, and telling him the truth wouldn't hurt him either. Speaking of secrets...

"Alexander, it has just occurred to me that I have never seen your warlock mark," Magnus said musingly. "It isn't even in the Institute's database."

"Why were you looking me up in the database?" Alex frowned. 

"Because you refuse to take proper selfies with me, and I wanted some photos of my gorgeous boyfriend? There's a really lovely one of you in the database where you were wearing this fantastic Victorian frock coat..."

Alec snorted. 

"But I won't be distracted, Alexander. Why haven't I seen your warlock mark? Is it somewhere naughty?" Magnus grinned salaciously at Alec. 

Alec cleared his throat. Magnus could tell from the set of his shoulders that this was something Alec didn't really want to talk about, and immediately felt bad about being pushy. He had only ever seen Alec in long-sleeved shirts, and once when he had gotten caught up in the moment and slid his hands up Alec’s shirt, he had felt the scars - scars that felt as ragged and horrific as the zigzagged one on the warlock's neck. He knew there were unhappy things in Alec's past that he wasn't comfortable talking about just yet - not secrets, exactly, just bad memories. And Magnus knew better than most about bad memories.  

"Never mind, Alexander. I was just being nosy. You don't have to talk about it."

"No, I..." Alec cleared his throat. "Just... not today." 

"It’s fine, Alexander. Whenever you're ready," Magnus said soothingly, getting up to peck him on the cheek lightly. 

Alec smiled, turning to kiss Magnus properly. "Bed?" 

They had a comfortable bedtime routine now - Magnus had a guest room and the ensuite bathroom all to himself, and that was where he kept his clothes and make-up. He'd remove his make-up and change into sleep clothes before heading to Alec's bedroom, where Alec was almost invariably reading in bed while he waited for Magnus. 

Then they'd turn off the lights, lying chastely side by side, just talking about their day or whatever happened to come up, until they both fell asleep. On a few occasions, they'd been so engrossed in the conversation that it had been morning before they'd realised it. It reminded Magnus of being a child again, sharing a room with Ragnor and having whispered conversations in the dark when they were both in bed and supposed to be asleep. Except this was much better, because sometimes there was the prospect of cuddling.

They had had a few heated make-out sessions where belt buckles had come undone before they'd both backed off and had to cool down, and Alec had accidentally ripped half the buttons off one of Magnus' shirts in his enthusiasm. (Magnus had refused to let the warlock mend it because it was too amusing to watch Alec getting all flustered every time he wore it around the apartment.) But somehow bedtimes remained sacred, a quiet time to get to know each other and reconnect.  

Magnus had never expected love to be this way. He had been anticipating a raging fire, all-consuming and violent in its passion; but being with Alec was like sinking into a warm bath after a long day, the warmth slowly seeping into his bones, making him soft and pliant until he didn't know where he ended and Alec began. 

There were no lies in their relationship, or at least nothing so earth-shaking that it could break them. The Seelie Queen didn't know what she was talking about.


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

Simon had expected to find Rebecca in the room she shared with their mother. He didn't expect to find her in the training room, practicing with a feather staff - a sort of hollow pole with retractable blades at one end. Rebecca seemed to prefer this to all the other weapons they had tried.

"Hey."

"Did Thora send you to talk to me, or was it Catarina?" Rebecca asked, not looking at him.

"Can't I want to talk to my own sister?" 

Rebecca snorted. "Simon, I've hardly seen you at all since that battle on Asmodeus' ship. The only time I see you is during those sessions with Isabelle, and even then you hardly speak to me. You haven't even spoken to Mum much, recently."

Simon adjusted his glasses nervously. "Um. I'm sorry?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I know I hardly spoke to you after I went off to college. I get it - you've got new friends now. I don't blame you."

"They could be your friends too," Simon tried.

"Don't you miss your old friends?" Rebecca asked him. "Eric? Kirk? I don't think I've even heard you mention Clary in a while, and she was your best friend."

"She _is_  still my best friend," Simon insisted. "I call her every couple of nights. Unless it's her date night with Jace."

"Jace, as in the vampire?" Rebecca stopped twirling the staff in surprise.

"Yeah, apparently it's working out," Simon shrugged. "They asked me to go out with them tomorrow, but I didn't want to be a third wheel."

"So ask Raphael along, make it a double date," Rebecca said with a grin.

"Are you kidding me? Raphael hates vampires. And also, I'm _not_ dating Raphael," Simon scowled. "Why does everyone assume that?"

"Gee, I wonder if it's because he behaves as if he's personally responsible for you, and you're always following him around like a puppy," Rebecca muttered.  

" _Anyway_ ," Simon said loudly. "Look, stop trying to change the topic. I get that you don't like being here, but-" 

"That's exactly the problem," Rebecca said soberly. "I didn't choose this. I want to go back to college, and be a normal girl. I want my biggest problem to be a pop quiz, not the apocalypse. But I can't."

"Why not?" Simon frowned. "This thing with Asmodeus isn't going to be forever. Once we've defeated him, you can go back to a normal life." 

"No, it's not just about Asmodeus," Rebecca sighed. "I didn't expect to actually enjoy fighting demons, but I do. And I used to think of exercise as a sort of necessary evil, but now when I'm frustrated or angry, I find myself coming here to train - with actual weapons. Why is this my life now?" 

"Wait - so you're saying that your problem is that you're actually _enjoying_ being a shadowhunter?" Simon asked in confusion. 

Rebecca put her staff aside and flopped down on the training mat. "I don't know. It's complicated. I miss my old life, but... It was bad enough to find out that I wasn't even human, you know, but to find out that there's pure angel blood in my veins - _angel blood_ , Simon. What kind of person would I be if I chose not to fight this fight against the forces of darkness or whatever?"

Simon sat down next to her. "I don't know. I miss Eric and the guys, but I've still got Clary, and the guys here are pretty cool too. And I wouldn't say I miss normal school all that much, because - come on, we're learning about demons and werewolves and vampires here. It's like getting into Hogwarts and saying you'd rather be studying calculus." 

Rebecca laughed. "You're such a nerd." 

"Why can't you have both, though? You could hang out with your normal friends and not tell them about this whole shadowhunting gig. And, I mean, Isabelle and Alec both have medical degrees. Why can't you go back to college and study biochem after this war is over? I bet the shadowhunters would benefit from some updated science. Mrs Fell would totally be cool with it." 

"But the demons, and patrols-" 

"There are always going to be demons and bad guys who want to take over the world," Simon shrugged. "Can't put your life on hold for them. Just do like, weekend patrol duty or something."

"And the angel blood?" Rebecca asked. "Doesn't it make you feel weird? Like we're some sort of _aliens_ pretending to be humans, like everything I am, _my whole life_ , has been a lie."

"We didn't know it before, but it has always been a part of who we are," Simon reasoned. "Knowing what we are now doesn't change who we were. So we could just... be this as well." 

"When did my little baby brother get so wise?" Rebecca asked softly with a smile.

"Well, it probably helped that I have an awesome big sister who always gave me the best advice," Simon grinned.

Rebecca laughed. "Well, here's another great piece of advice - DTR with Raphael already."

" _There is no relationship!_ "

 

"The good news is - Tethys exists. We have found at least five different reliable historical sources that mention shadowhunters requesting a boon from the White Lady, and the records are pretty detailed on what they approached her for and how they prepared for their journey," Ragnor said. 

"Ok, I sense a 'but' in there somewhere," Simon said. "What's the bad news?" 

"The bad news is - it seems none of the shadowhunters survived the encounter."

"Oh my god," Rebecca muttered. 

They had ensconced themselves in a small meeting room near the library where all the books Sigurd and Ragnor had amassed were stacked in teetering piles - Thora and Sigurd had agreed that it would be best if they kept their project low profile in case the Clave got wind of it. 

"Did they at least get what they requested for though?" Catarina asked curiously. Ragnor shook his head. 

"So that's a dead end?" Simon sank into his chair, disheartened. 

"Not entirely - we might not be able to approach Tethys herself, but we could approach her sons. Remember the legends said that she had thousands of children, and these children eventually became the patron gods and goddesses of the rivers and lakes," Ragnor said.

"So, the 'gods' of the Hudson River and East River," Simon said. "There's stuff on that?"

"No, but we could talk to the local nixies and mermaids," Ragnor shrugged. "They should know if there're a couple of giants lurking around in the rivers."

"Wasn't Magnus going out with a nixie girl at some point?" Catarina mused.

"Good luck asking him to work _that_ angle now," Ragnor scoffed. "The High Warlock's gone and made an honest man out of our Magnus. Just look at how well that thing in the Seelie Court went." 

"Aren't the nixies and mermaids under the Queen's rule?" Rebecca frowned. "I bet she's told them not to talk to us anymore."

"Shit, it all keeps coming back to the Seelie Queen," Simon groaned with his head in his hands. "I've messed this up so bad. Every time it looks like we've got a lead - _bam!_ Simon screws it up." 

Rebecca patted Simon comforting on the head. "Maybe you should plan to fail. That way, the plan might actually work."

"No, you see, but if I plan to fail but secretly hope that that will cause the plan to succeed, then that's a plan too, right? So it'll fail anyway!" 

Raphael rolled his eyes. "I think I liked it better when you two weren't talking to each other."

There was a knock on the door. They tensed, then relaxed when it turned out to be Sigurd with more books in his arms. He took a look around their little group and frowned. "Where's Magnus? It's long past noon. Is he still out with High Warlock Lightwood?"

"I think so. Why?" Ragnor asked.

Sigurd shook his head. "Thora needs to talk to him when he's back. I know his relationship is new and exciting, but it doesn't mean he can shirk his duties."

"Well, you know how Magnus is with research. He'll turn up for patrol," Ragnor insisted.

"Yes, _late_ ," Raphael muttered under his breath. Ragnor kicked him under the table.

"Which reminds me - the head of the Cornwall Institute tells me his son in interested in our little project here, and would like to be included," Sigurd said. "I sent him a fire message about borrowing one of his books - the Cornish have a long association with the sea and fishing, you see. Apparently his son has a particular interest in water spirits."

"I thought Cadwur Fade was unmarried," Catarina said in surprise.

"Well, adopted son, rather - he was abandoned on the steps of the Cornwall Institute as a baby. His name is Malcolm, and he is slightly older than the rest of you by a year or two. But Cadwur warned me that Malcolm can take a while to get used to."

"What do you mean?" Catarina frowned. 

"Apparently he's a bit of a dreamer, and slightly eccentric. Cadwur thinks he has a bit of the fey about him - it's not unheard of, you know, for shadowhunters to have dalliances with faeries, and for those relationships to produce children. The blood of the Clave is dominant in children who are half-faerie." 

"By the Angel, faeries again," Raphael complained. "Why do we seem to keep coming back to them?"

"This might work in our favour though," Catarina said. "If he has an affinity with water spirits, and he's half-faerie, they might talk to him even if they won't talk to us."

"Are we sure he can be trusted?" Raphael asked.

"Well, if he's faerie, doesn't it mean he can't lie?" Simon asked.

" _Half_ -faerie. He definitely can lie. Besides, did the Seelie Queen seem all that trustworthy?" Raphael scoffed.

"Now, now. Cadwur Fade is an old friend, and a good man. I'm sure his son is a fine young man," Sigurd said sternly. "Let's not judge him before we've even met him." 

"When is he arriving?" Catarina asked diplomatically.

"He has to travel to the London Institute to get to the Portal there, so he'll be here in a day or two," Sigurd replied. "And please let Magnus know that I expect him to be here when he arrives - he's the closest in age to Malcolm, and I'm hoping he can help him settle in." 

They kept quiet and nodded until Sigurd was out of the room. 

"Yeah, force Magnus to spend less time with his boyfriend and babysit a weirdo who is possibly part-fey - _that_ ought to go down well," Ragnor sighed.

  

Malcolm Fade arrived at the New York Institute on a Friday. This was incredibly inconvenient for Magnus, because after a long conversation with Thora Fell, he had conceded that as much as he preferred staying over at Alec's, he was occasionally required in the Institute. Magnus had very reluctantly agreed to keep to a schedule - barring emergencies, he would spend Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights at the Institute, but for the rest of the week, he would go back to Alec's place after patrol or whenever his duties were done.

As far as he was concerned, his duties for the day _were_ done - he had trained two batches of kids in basic sparring, sat through Catarina's patrol briefing (while texting Alec under the table), and put in the requisite amount of time flipping through a mildew-stained, overly-detailed book about the anatomy of sea monsters. He was _done_. As if it wasn't bad enough that he'd had to agree to seeing Alec on a schedule, now he had to sit around and wait for some visitor from Cornwall and play nice for at least another hour. 

From what they had told him, Malcolm was an older boy with an interest in water spirits, which made him sound like some sort of stuffy academic type. Why had  _he_ had been saddled with showing this guy around when Ragnor or Catarina were so clearly more suitable for the task?

All the major Institutes had Portals - not quite the same as what the warlocks had, but it wasn't entirely of the Nephilim either. Unlike warlock Portals, which could travel anywhere, the Institute Portals were only linked to each other and to the one in the Gard in Alicante, the shadowhunter home country, and was mainly for facilitating exchanges like this. Alec had told Magnus that the Portals used by the shadowhunters had actually been invented by some distant ancestor of Magnus' and a warlock by the name of Lydia Branwell.  

At the moment, Magnus was in the Institute's Portal room standing restlessly next to Catarina, Ragnor and Sigurd Fell, and surreptitiously sending Alec sad-face emojis on his phone while they waited for their guest to arrive. Then the glowing green archway - not carved into the stone walls of the Institute, but drawn into being with glowing runes that were not from the Gray Book - rippled, and a tall figure stepped through.

He was slightly taller than Magnus, and very thin, with cheekbones as sharp as blades. At first, Magnus thought it was just the green light from the Portal that wasn't doing his pale complexion any favours, but when the glow from the Portal had faded, it became clear that Malcolm Fade actually did look like someone had taken an eraser to him and scrubbed out all the colours. Even the crown of messy hair on his head wasn't just blond, but completely white. He was wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans, which had the effect of making him look even more washed out. Magnus would have thought he was albino, if it wasn't for his eyes - his eyes were a shocking, violent shade of purple.

"Hi!" Malcolm said cheerfully, beaming from ear to ear. He adjusted the duffle-bag slung over his shoulder and shook all their hands so enthusiastically that Magnus' teeth rattled in his head. Magnus was rather forcibly reminded of an over-excited puppy. "So, this project - when do we start?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are not familiar with the term, "DTR" means "define the relationship" - basically to sit down and discuss their understanding of where their (romantic) relationship is going.


	7. Chapter 7

 

Magnus had been wrong to assume that Malcolm Fade would be the most boring thing to happen to the New York Institute since they had banned recreational drinking on Institute grounds because of the Prohibition in the 1920s.

They had started discussions about how to approach the nixies and mermaids in the Hudson and East Rivers at 8am, which meant that Magnus had had to leave Alec's place two hours earlier than he usually did even with Alec making him a Portal right to the steps of the Institute.

Magnus was emphatically not sulking. He was protesting against the draconian yoke of the Clave.  

"We've tried our usual methods, which is basically to place the message in the water, but none have responded," Catarina was explaining to Malcolm. "We had a bit of an... incident with the Seelie Queen, so we think that's why they've been avoiding us." 

"You'll have better luck if you go into the water, or at least on the water," Malcolm said serenely. "The Queen has her spies everywhere - the birds and the bugs are all in her service, you see. But in the water she has no dominion." 

"Yes, well, we can't breathe underwater though - that's the whole problem," Ragnor said.

"Hey - what about scuba gear?" Simon said suddenly.

"Yes, because I want to be dependent on a flimsy tube attached to my only source of oxygen when I'm fighting unknown sea creatures underwater," Raphael rolled his eyes.

"A boat, then," Malcolm said. "I could sail it - I'm very good with boats,"

"We considered that, but a private boat is way out of our budget, and mundane ferry services are, well, full of mundanes," Catarina explained. 

"Besides, the mermaids have a habit of tipping boats when they get upset - which brings us back to our first point," Ragnor added.

"Honestly, I still say breathing underwater is the least of our worries - I mean, have you _seen_ the state of those rivers?" Magnus wrinkled his nose. "If any of us went in there, we'd be walking out with extra mutant limbs."  

“Well, if that doesn't work, there's always carrier kittens,” Malcolm said brightly.  

Everybody stared. He didn't seem to be joking.  

“Did you mean carrier _pigeons_?” Catarina asked uncertainly. "I don't think that would work for contacting the mermaids, since they are, you know, underwater."

“No, carrier kittens. They’re so cute, no one can deny them. Fix their mouse problem too!" Malcolm beamed.

"Pretty sure they don't have a mouse problem _underwater_ ," Raphael said pointedly.

"Also, cats generally don't like water," Magnus said reasonably, trying very hard not to laugh. "And I would know, because I had to bathe my cat a few days ago, and let me tell you - I don't recommend the experience."

"You have a cat?" Malcolm seemed enthralled, and started looking Magnus up and down as if he might be hiding a cat inside his jacket or jeans pockets.

"Yes, but not here - at my boyfriend's place."

"Oh, how lovely!" Malcolm said. "Have you been together long? Why doesn't he live here?" 

"He's not a shadowhunter - he's a warlock," Magnus said levelly, watching Malcolm carefully to see what reaction he would have to that. 

"A warlock!" Malcolm said delightedly. "That is so romantic - a half-angel and a half-demon, star-crossed lovers - like _Romeo and Juliet_."

And he wasn't even trying to be sarcastic. Despite their brief acquaintance, Magnus was pretty sure Malcolm didn't understand the concept of sarcasm.

"I would very much prefer if Alexander and I didn't have to end up committing double suicide though," Magnus said wryly.

"Oh, right on," Malcolm nodded enthusiastically. "I like the love stories with the happy endings too."

"Is this guy for real?" Simon whispered to Raphael.

"Anyway - I might be able to ask Alexander or Isabelle about that boat. I think they have some sort of beach house in the Maldives, and I remember Isabelle saying that they had their own personal yacht," Magnus said.

"I could sail it - I'm very good with boats," Malcolm repeated cheerfully, as if he hadn't just said it a few minutes ago. 

"I'm sure you are," Ragnor said with the sort of polite smile one reserved for crazy people who approached you on the streets. 

"Well, that's decided then," Catarina said briskly, already prepared to go into damage-control mode. "Ragnor and Raphael - if I could have a word with the two of you, please. In private."

"If we're done here, I'll show Malcolm around, since apparently I'm responsible for him," Magnus grinned. "Come on."

Malcolm jumped up and flashed Magnus a dazzling smile. "Brilliant!"

Ragnor raised an eyebrow at Magnus from behind Malcolm's back, but Magnus just shrugged. There were worse ways to pass the day.

 

"Alec! Alec, are you in here?" Isabelle Lightwood called out as she walked in the door of the Brooklyn apartment. "If Magnus is here and you two are doing it, don't stop on my account."

Alec walked out of his study immediately, scowling at his sister. She took one look at his expression and burst into giggles. 

"Oh, big brother. You're the easiest person in the world to rile up, I swear," she said, still giggling, as she went on tiptoes to kiss his cheek and pull him into a tight hug. Alec grumbled something about cheeky and annoying sisters but hugged her back.

"Okay - what is this I'm hearing about you not wanting to take on new clients?" Isabelle said. "This is the third person this week who's come to me because they said you didn't want to do the job."

Alec shrugged. "It's not like we need the money."

"Yes, but you're a workaholic, and in 400 years I've never heard of you turning away a client unless they wanted to do something malicious. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Alec insisted. "I wanted to take a break."

"You, taking a break? Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Isabelle said in amazement.

"I just wanted a bit more time for myself," Alec said.

Isabelle's gaze softened. "Is this about Magnus?"

"What about Magnus?" Alec said defensively.

"Look, I understand - he is mortal, and your time with him is limited," Isabelle said gently. 

"Yes," Alec agreed quietly. "It is." 

"Don't worry about it, Alec. I'll pick up the slack. It's ok to be selfish. You are allowed to want to be happy, Alec." 

"Is it really, Iz?" Alec said softly. Isabelle noticed that Alec was pressing the numb spot in his palm again, that old injury their mother had given him. "I don't think I'm being fair to Magnus." 

"Why? Because you can't grow old with him?" 

Alec stayed silent, and shrugged. 

"You could talk to me about it," Isabelle said. "I've dated a few mortals. Although - well, I know you two have only been dating for a while, but most of them can't deal with it, you know, growing old while we remain the same. Usually they just... leave." 

"That's not going to be a problem with Magnus," Alec shook his head. 

"Oh, have you two talked about it already?" Isabelle said in surprise. "That's fast. Seems like a rather heavy topic for a month-old relationship."

Alec shrugged non-committally. "We talk."

"Well, then I'm really envious of you," Isabelle admitted. "I've never actually had a mortal lover who wanted to live with me for their whole lives."

"No, it's not really like what you're thinking. It's just that he's a shadowhunter," Alec said quietly. "He lives day by day, because there might not be a tomorrow." 

Isabelle regarded her brother silently for a long while. "Please don't tell me that's why you were so blasé about the _geas_ that the warlock council put on you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I trust Magnus - that's all there is to it."  

"Is it really?" Isabelle said. "That was reckless, Alec, and I've never known you to be reckless. You know how serious that _geas_ is - your life in forfeit, _your immortal life_. They could ask anything of you - ask for your death, for your immortality, or eternal servitude - if Magnus even puts a toe out of line. Why would you do something like that for a boy you've only just started dating?"

Isabelle shook her head in frustration. "And this particular boy, with the angel blood experiments, and no way to know what sort of powers he might have. You didn't see Simon's sunlight rune, Alec, the way it burned up the demons in the street. Whatever powers he might have, they could be devastating when they finally manifest. Magnus is a wildcard." 

"Magnus knows what his powers are," Alec finally said. 

"What? How? Why hasn't he come for the sessions with me, then? What can he do?"

"I don't know. He hasn't told me yet." 

Isabelle frowned. "I don't understand."

"The fear demons that your group found - Simon, Rebecca and Magnus each had to face one on their own. Even with her telekinetic powers, Rebecca really only survived out of pure luck. I know Magnus is a good fighter, but that means nothing against an incorporeal demon - Jace is a good fighter too, but that didn't help him. Those demons were a test Asmodeus designed to force them to show their powers. Magnus wouldn't have survived if his powers hadn't shown themselves somehow."

"But if he knows, then why has he been lying about it?"

Alec shrugged. "I don't know, but there are painful memories in his past too, despite his youth. But it's nothing dangerous to the downworld. Magnus would never keep something that important from me."

Isabelle frowned. "I just hope your faith in him is not misplaced."

"Izzy, I trust Magnus," Alec said. "And I want you to know that he will be there for you when... if you ever need him."

"Sure," Isabelle said, puzzled. "I like him well enough. But I don't think need I'll ever need the services of a shadowhunter. Usually it's the shadowhunters who need _us_."

"Then promise me he can always count on you, too." 

Isabelle nodded, frowning. Alec had never asked her to promise him anything before. "Are you sure you're alright?" 

"Yeah, just... I haven't eaten anything all day."

Isabelle looked unconvinced, but let it slide. "Even if you won't take care of yourself, I had hoped that Magnus would be taking better care of you than that."

"He had a meeting at the Institute first thing in the morning," Alec said a little defensively. Gods, her brother really was gone on this boy. 

"Alright, then let's go for lunch. There's this lovely place in Paris that I've been meaning to try."

Isabelle made a mental note to speak to Magnus as soon as possible. She had the feeling Alec was hiding something from her, something big, and if Magnus was in on it she wanted to know what. If for nothing else, Magnus had to know about the _geas_ Alec had accepted, and what it meant for him - the shadowhunter had to know how much Alec was risking for him. And if Magnus Bane broke her brother's heart, she was going to make him wish he'd never been born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That bit about carrier kittens actually happens in the books. I don't make this shit up. XD


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning and past physical abuse warning. That is all.

 

 

Getting the yacht to New York turned out to be a more involved process than they had expected, even with magic. Alec had dissuaded them against glamouring the yacht invisible because of the number of larger ferries and private yachts that travelled on the East River and Hudson River. (It wasn't like they had a gigantic cargo ship like Asmodeus had - that had been invisible, but it also wouldn't have suffered much damage from having a puny little ferry running into it.) Besides, running water washed enchantments away, so any spells on the yacht had to be extra strong. Instead, Alec had suggested casting a deflection charm so the coast guards wouldn't pay too much attention to the unlicensed craft. 

After that, they had spent a few days examining maps to determine their course. Malcolm really had been very knowledgeable about where they might be most likely to find mermaids and nixies, even if he did have a habit of staring into space mid-sentence and interrupting conversions with nonsensical observations. 

"The fey have a preference for pretty things, and I don't want to scare them off with a big group of shadowhunters, so we're going to have to plan this boat trip properly. I don't think all of us should go," Catarina said decisively.

"Well, then I guess I'm a shoo-in for this mission," Magnus said smugly.

Catarina gave him an unimpressed look, but nodded. "Yes. I was thinking Magnus, Rebecca, and Malcolm, of course."  

"You think I'm pretty?" Malcolm asked in surprise, looking pleased.

Catarina looked startled. "Well, um..."

"You're the only one who knows how to sail the boat, remember?" Ragnor snapped. 

"Why me?" Rebecca asked.

"We're trying to cater to all sorts of tastes, darling," Magnus explained with a grin. "Me, for the ones who like boys, and you for the ones who prefer girls." 

"Aside from the fact that that sounds really disturbing, I'm afraid I'm out because I can't swim. Why doesn't Catarina go instead?"

"I think Catarina's very pretty," Malcolm agreed dreamily, and Ragnor's scowl deepened.

Catarina laughed nervously. "I'm afraid I have to stay here - I have patrols to plan and a lot of paperwork to catch up on." 

"Maybe you should have more than one person on this boat who can sail it - just in case," Raphael said, eyeing Malcolm with mistrust.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Catarina said. "I was wondering if Isabelle Lightwood might be amenable to going along - in case you need magical back-up. It is her yacht, after all. And don't suggest Alec, Magnus, because if he went along, the two of you would spend the entire time making cow eyes at each other and nothing would get done."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Please, don't insult us - we can be more professional than that. Besides, if we were going to take the yacht, there'd be champagne and chocolate involved, and we would most certainly not be sailing down the _East River_ of all places."

"Either that's the royal 'we', or you and Alec are turning into one of those couples that think they are one person," Raphael observed snarkily. 

"You'll understand, my dear little grumpy cat, when you are in love," Magnus said sweetly. 

"Cat?" Malcolm echoed, snapping back into the conversation from wherever his mind had wandered off to. He looked at Raphael. "Do you have a cat too?"

Raphael simply glared at Malcolm. 

"Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but I have a gorgeous boyfriend to go home to," Magnus said cheerfully. 

"Oh. Is it Alec-night already?" Malcolm asked, sounding a little lonely.

Malcolm had already been at the New York Institute for a week, but so far, Magnus had been the only one making an effort to spend a bit of time with him, because Catarina was too busy and Ragnor and Raphael (and therefore by extension, Simon) couldn't stand him. It wasn't Malcolm's fault that he was a bit strange, and he had a sort of childlike glee for everything, which was rather endearing. Magnus felt a bit sorry for him, but not sorry enough to give up his date nights with Alec.  

"Want to get some training in?" Rebecca asked Malcolm, although she looked like someone bracing herself for something really unpleasant. 

Malcolm perked up immediately and nodded enthusiastically. Catarina beamed at Rebecca. 

"Thanks for taking one for the team," Magnus whispered in Rebecca's ear. Rebecca rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

 

 

When Magnus reached Alec's apartment, the first thing he noticed was a horrible burning smell. 

"Alexander, what are you doing in here?" Magnus frowned as he entered the study.

Alec had four different cauldrons bubbling away on his work table, and was carefully dripping a bit of each potion on a shrivelled leaf. Every time the potion made contact, there would be a plume of acrid smoke. Alec wrinkled his nose and banished the mess from his table, but the stench lingered.

"Isabelle thought we could try to make an antidote for Simon's blight rune," Alec explained.

"I'm guessing it's not going so well." 

"It might take some time to get it right," Alec conceded. 

Magnus took a deep breath. This was as good a time as any, he supposed. "About that... maybe you could help me with something."

Alec looked up with interest. 

"I haven't been able to get my powers to work since after that night on Asmodeus' ship," Magnus said.  

Alec suddenly looked guilty, which wasn't the reaction Magnus had been expecting. 

"Well, you don't seem surprised to hear that I knew what my powers were," Magnus said. 

Alec smiled wryly. "I overheard your conversation with Asmodeus when you were fighting him. Somehow I doubt your angelic powers are 'superhuman powers of self-restraint'." 

Magnus grinned. "How well you know me, Alexander. But why that expression, when I told you?" 

Alec shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, I was wondering if perhaps when I healed you of your injuries..." 

"Oh. I hadn't considered that," Magnus said. "But why would healing me cause my angelic powers to stop working?" 

Alec shrugged. "Just a theory."  

"Well. I have a theory of my own - I think I have a... mental block. Because of the shape the fear demon took."

Alec stepped closer to Magnus. "Would talking about it help?" 

"Remember how I told you I found my mother dead by her own hand? That was the form the fear demon took - the ghost of my mother, smiling." 

Alec frowned. "I don't understand."

"This really isn't date night conversation material, is it?" Magnus said with a hollow sort of laugh, hugging himself. 

"You don't have to talk about it now, if you don't want to. But I would like to understand," Alec said softly. 

"I was all she had left, and I tried to be enough for her, but I wasn't. I wasn't enough. Asmodeus had been a monster, but she had loved him, and she went on missing him," Magnus swallowed thickly. "And I guess that's what I'm most afraid of - that I'm never going to be enough."

"Hey - don't say that. You'll always be enough," Alec said, drawing Magnus close to him and pulling him into a hug. "This is not on you. Your mother's sorrow shouldn't be your burden to bear." 

"Sorry about spoiling the mood," Magnus mumbled into Alec's shoulder.

"What mood?" Alec scoffed. "Well, if we're going to talk about moods. You said you wanted to see my warlock mark?"

"Alexander, this isn't _quid pro quo_ ," Magnus frowned, pulling away to look him in the eye. "I didn't tell you a secret because I wanted you to tell me a secret in return."

"No, I want to," Alec said seriously. "You trusted me with something that was personal and painful for you, and I want you to know that I trust you as well."

"I know that you trust me," Magnus said. "You don't have to prove yourself to me, I've told you that."

"But what if I _want_ to prove myself to you? I've been thinking about it for a while," Alec said, speaking quickly as if he was afraid that if Magnus interrupted him he would lose his nerve. "It's part of the reason why I've never been in a relationship before. I didn't want to feel like there was something wrong with me, didn't want people to look at me differently. It's just... I've never felt this way about someone. And if, at some point, when I... I don't want you to think that I started this relationship with you because you happened to be there. I want you to know that I love you because of _you_ , and I trust you." 

"Alexander, are you sure you're ok?" Magnus frowned, his hands finding Alec's and gripping tightly. There was a trickle of unease like a cold finger down his spine, and the Seelie Queen's words were echoing in his head: _Love makes liars of us all_.

"I'm just nervous," Alec insisted, looking down at their joined hands. "I've never told anybody this before. Only Izzy and Max know about this. Not even Jace."

"Alright," Magnus said. "I'm listening."

"Perhaps it'll be easier if I showed you," Alec said quietly. He took a few steps away from Magnus and turned his back towards him. Magnus could see Alec taking a deep breath and steeling himself - then Alec pulled his sweatshirt off.

Magnus tried to stifle his gasp of horror. Alec's back was a mess of crisscrossed scars, very old childhood injuries from the looks of it. Magnus had always assumed Alec wore those lumpy sweatshirts of his because they were comfortable and that he tended to look like he had a slouch because Alec was so tall that he tried to make himself shorter to accommodate other people. But worse than the scars were the two bony, half-severed appendages that seemed to be sticking out from Alec's shoulder blades.

"Are those... wings?" he whispered.

"They _were_ wings," Alec said, balling his shirt up in his hands.

"How did this happen?" Magnus asked, struggling with the potent tide of fury and anguish rising inside him. He wanted to reach out and hug Alec and never let go, but something in Alec's posture made him hold himself back. 

"My mother," Alec breathed out. "When Izzy and I were born, we didn't have our warlock marks. Then our magic awakened, uncontrolled bursts - silly things like being able to reach things that had been put out of our reach, making things vanish or appear. Our mother was all alone because my human father travelled a lot for business, and I think she thought she was going insane. At first she thought she could beat the magic out of us - and I wouldn't let her hit Izzy, so I would take the blame for all the strange things that happened."

"Oh, Alexander," Magnus said sadly. 

"Our warlock marks appeared when we were 10 years old," Alec continued. "We had just enough control over our magic to glamour them by then, but not very reliably. Then our mother found out that my human father had been cheating on her, that he planned to leave her for the other woman, and she was half-mad with rage and grief... I think she thought that if she killed us, then killed herself, he would feel the guilt for the rest of his life. She was coming at us with this huge knife, and I tried to shield Izzy, and... I couldn't control my wings." Alec swallowed, voice faltering.

Magnus couldn't hold himself back any longer, couldn't bear to have Alec tell the rest of this horrible story to its obvious conclusion - he wrapped his arms around Alec, pressing a kiss into his hair.

"Do you know what it means, for a warlock to have no warlock mark?" Alec said softly. "Normal humans are turned off by the strange scars, and downworlders find my mutilation disgusting." 

"For the love of the angel, Alexander, don't you dare say that about yourself," Magnus said fiercely. "The other people are fools if they can't see how beautiful you are, inside and out."

"This is why I always knew I couldn't have what I wanted," Alec swallowed. "Until you came along."  

"Oh, Alexander. You have me," Magnus promised. "I'm yours, for as long as you'll have me." 

"It's not fair," Alec said, his voice breaking. "It's not enough time."

He doesn't know who makes the first move; all he knows is that they are kissing like they've never kissed before, the salt of their tears mingling on their tongues. There is none of their previous playfulness or hesitation in this kiss. All Magnus can feel is his heart shattering into a million brilliant shards.

Magnus has imagined being like this with Alec, but the reality is a thousand times more intense. They are sweat damp, bare bodies pressed impossibly close. Magnus has never felt this way, like he is free-falling and he doesn't even care how out of control he is, how hard he'll hit the ground. Alec surges up to kiss him from beneath the shelter of Magnus' body, all teeth and tongue and desperation, putting his whole body into the kiss. 

Heat pooling in his gut, Magnus loses himself in the sensations. The slide of overheated skin, parted lips and mingled breaths, moans swallowed by frantic kisses - he doesn't know why this feels bittersweet, but it does. 

"Magnus," Alec whispers brokenly, his name on his lips both a plea and a benediction, his body arching, falling apart so beautifully.  

Magnus cradles Alec's cheek tenderly, keeping his eyes on Alec, always on Alec. "I've got you, Alexander," he replies, his own breathing ragged, his heart so full it is cresting and overflowing.  

After, they lay together with their bodies still tangled under the covers, punch-drunk on slow, syrupy kisses. 

"I just want to stay like this forever," Alec told Magnus in a soft voice.  

"I'm not going anywhere, Alexander."

It's a lie, but neither of them call each other out on it. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

Normally, Magnus got along pretty well with Isabelle Lightwood. She was lively, charming, and they had a common interest in clothes and make-up, and well, Alec. Right now, he couldn't think of anything worse than being trapped on a boat for two hours with a nosy sister who didn't understand the concept of respecting her brother's privacy - not after he felt like his heart had just gone a few rounds through an industrial-strength blender and he seemed to have left most of the pieces with Alec this morning, when they had made love again in the weak pre-dawn light until they had both ended up shivering and boneless. 

Malcolm was whistling cheerfully as he manned the controls of the boat. Well, he was pressing buttons - Magnus was pretty sure Isabelle had quietly charmed the boat to sail itself. Magnus had escaped to the back of the yacht, where the droning roar of the motor and frothing waves would hopefully discourage any attempts at conversation.

No such luck.

"Magnus, we need to talk," Isabelle said, waving her hand to create a bubble of quiet around them. 

"What about?" Magnus pointedly did not turn to look at Isabelle.

“You really like him, right?” Isabelle asked. “My brother?”

“Are we going to talk about boys?” Magnus asked flippantly. “I didn’t realise, and I am honestly not prepared. Can’t you come over to the Institute another time, when I’m in my pajamas? We could do homemade facials and braid each other’s hair, and then and only then, will I tell you that I think your brother is totally dreamy.”

"I'm serious, Magnus. Do you find he's been acting a little strangely, lately?" 

"Strange how?"

Isabelle waved a hand distractedly. "I don't know. Reckless. Impulsive. Like he's expecting something bad to happen soon, and he has to get everything done before then."

"Are you suggesting I'm an item on your brother's to-do list?" Magnus waggled an eyebrow at her suggestively. "Because I'm sure I'd check all his boxes."

Isabelle snorted. "Did he tell you about the meeting with the warlock council? About the _geas_?"

"Briefly. What's a _geas_?" Magnus frowned.  

"A magical, unbreakable oath. He swore that if you ever became a threat to the Downworld, that his life would be in forfeit."

"What?" Magnus gasped, looking at Isabelle in horror. "Why would he do that?"

"My brother trusts you."

"Yes, but that's no reason to be agreeing to something like that - what if I accidentally did something or something happens that they decide is my fault-" Magnus huffed in frustration. "Why would he say yes?" 

"You tell me," Isabelle challenged. "Something happened between the two of you, and I don't just mean your relationship. Alec is hiding something from me."

"Isabelle, you know how much your brother cares about you. I can't think of anything he wouldn't tell you. Oh - well, it's not a secret exactly, I did report this to the Clave. But when I was fighting Asmodeus, he almost sliced me in half. I remember Alec having to carry me, and that I couldn't feel my legs anymore because Asmodeus probably severed my spinal cord. But Alec healed me, and I'm fine now. And I don't see how this would have anything to do with his behaviour." 

Isabelle frowned. "You must have been mistaken. There are some injuries even warlocks can't heal."

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean we can't bring back the dead. We can't reattach limbs that have been severed, because that limb is dead. Same with the spinal cord - if it's been severed completely, all the nerve cells after the break are dead."

"Huh. Interesting."

"Well, you're walking fine. So it must have been just swelling pressing on the nerves, and making it feel numb."

"Yes, that must be it. Now that you mention it, I think Alec said the same thing," Magnus agreed absent-mindedly, his brain already whirling at a mile a minute. 

"We're here!" Malcolm called from the prow of the yacht, interrupting their conversation. 

Magnus dropped the anchor and walked over to the side of the yacht, where Malcolm was already sitting at the side of the yacht with his feet bare, wriggling his toes in the water, tossing scraps of parchment with Catarina's carefully-worded messages over the side. True enough, before long there was a flash of green scales under the boat, and a fine-boned merman appeared, just under the surface of the water. He had a scattering of blue scales on his face that formed the image of something - a dolphin, perhaps - on one cheekbone. He eyed them suspiciously, obviously reluctant to come out of the water; then his eyes lighted on Isabelle and he broke to the surface with a smile.

"Isabelle," he swam easily to the side of the boat and kissed her hand.

"And you couldn't have mentioned earlier that you actually know one of the merfolk?" Magnus asked Isabelle, annoyed. "Do you have any idea how many of Catarina's meetings I could have avoided?" 

"Nobody thought to ask me," Isabelle retorted sweetly.

"So the rumours are true - the Lightwoods have thrown in their lot with the shadowhunters," the merman said, addressing Isabelle only and behaving as if Magnus and Malcolm didn't exist.

"Magnus is dating Alec Lightwood," Malcolm supplied helpfully.

Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, but let's not tell the whole world about it."

The merman was looking at Magnus now with renewed interest. "You look familiar, something about your eyes. But you cannot be him - the serpent of the East River ate him at the last half moon."

"There are sea serpents in the river?!" Malcolm looked horrified and quickly took his feet out of the water.

"Who?" Magnus asked.

The merman shrugged elegantly. "I don't know. All shadowhunters look the same to me."

Magnus frowned and exchanged a look with Isabelle. "I could be wrong, but I think your friend just told us that Asmodeus was eaten by a sea serpent."

"Meliorn, if you could remember more, it would aid us greatly," Isabelle said. "This shadowhunter you speak of, the one who was eaten - he might be the one who killed my kin, you see."

"Ah," the merman nodded in understanding. "There have been many shadowhunters in the waters lately. First the ones on the big ship, who brought the demons, then another group that invaded our waters and stomped about trampling seaweed and scaring the fish like the thick-headed things they were. Then another smaller group, during the last half moon, who came wearing the breathing gear the mundanes use, armed with blades of cold iron."

"But we can't be sure that was Asmodeus and his Circle," Magnus insisted. "There's not enough evidence."

"And you say he was eaten by the serpent of the East River?" Isabelle prompted. 

"They all were. I do not know why they thought it a good idea to seek out the serpents' lairs," Meliorn shrugged.

"Serpents, plural," Magnus noted. "So, two of them?"

"Foul-tempered beasts," Meliorn wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Their mother rules this realm, so they behave like spoiled brats."

"Well, Ragnor was right about that, at least," Magnus said. "Although this is possibly a rather unexpected turn of events. And, honestly, a bit of an anticlimax."

"It would explain why there has been no activity from Asmodeus," Isabelle murmured. "And who else would have a reason to risk approaching the gods of the rivers?" 

"Nope - not falling for that twice. I'm not believing Asmodeus is dead until I see some solid proof this time," Magnus declared. 

"Meliorn - would there be something left of the party, some object, or-" Isabelle began.

"I am not your servant, Isabelle Lightwood. If you want proof, you'll have to find it yourself," Meliorn said haughtily, and disappeared beneath the waves with a flick of his tail.

"Shiny," Malcolm said dreamily. 

"Oh dear, I think I've offended Meliorn," Isabelle frowned. "That's why I broke up with him - the fey are always so sensitive."

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds as if the Cup is lost for good now. Hardly worth the effort to try and get it back from a couple of bratty sea serpents," Magnus shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to make more shadowhunters the good old-fashioned way."

"But we need to tell someone about the sea serpents! They're eating people - someone needs to stop them!" Malcolm protested. 

"Malcolm, darling, the serpents have been in the river for years. As long as nobody is stupid enough to go looking for them, I don't think they are going to eat anyone. Besides, I think you'll find that if you insist on getting involved, that 'someone' is going to end up being us," Magnus said wryly. He looked to the distance, at the morning sun glinting off the glass towers of Manhattan. "Why don't you get us back to shore? I'll be back at the Institute in a jiffy - I've just remembered that I left something behind, back at Alec's place..." 

 

For the first time since he had met Alec, Magnus walked up the stairs to the apartment filled with dread. On the way home from the docks, he had had a lot of time to think and jump to horrible conclusions. He had left this morning feeling like his heart was in pieces, and now he had a feeling it would never be whole again.  

Alec was in his study, working on the antidote for the blight rune again. He looked up in pleased surprise; then he saw the look on Magnus' face and his expression shuttered.

"I'm assuming Izzy told you about the _geas_?" Alec asked, his voice tight.

"Isabelle also told me something very interesting today, about the limits of warlock healing," Magnus said, and Alec turned away. 

"You were delirious, you'd lost a lot of blood."

"I also remember telling you that you were a terrible liar."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"No, Alexander," Magnus said, his voice steely. "This is one conversation I am not going to let you get out of. What did you do to heal me?" 

Alec remained stubbornly silent, jaw clenching. After a long silence, he finally replied: "I asked my father for a favour."

"A favour?" Magnus felt his heart plummeting. "You mean you made a deal!"  

"Magnus... I-"

"What were the terms?" Magnus demanded, even though he already knew. If there was any hope at that he was wrong... 

"A life for a life," Alec said softly. 

"Were you ever intending to tell me?" Magnus snarled through gritted teeth. "Or was I supposed to find out only when I came home one day and found nothing left of you but a scorch mark on the floor?"

"Don't be angry with me, Magnus. Please," Alec whispered.

"How dare you! How dare you decide that I should live, and you should die in my place? Who gave you the right?" Magnus yelled, tears running down his face. 

"I didn't have a choice!" 

"Yes, you did. You could have chosen to let me die like I was supposed to!" Magnus roared. "I was just some random shadowhunter boy you barely knew!"

"I couldn't," Alec shot back. "You had so much more to live for than I ever did."

"That is bullshit." 

"No, Magnus. It's the truth. You see, I never planned on falling in love with you," Alec said, his voice breaking. "Four hundred years, Magnus. Four hundred years of being alone. I couldn't do it anymore."

"And now? Alexander, how do you expect me to live with myself, knowing the price you had to pay?" Magnus said with a choked sob.  

Alec moved towards Magnus, cupping his face in his hands and forcing Magnus to look him in the eyes. "You'll move on, you can find someone else to love - I swear I won't mind," Alec whispered.  

"No, Alexander. Don't you understand? There isn't going to be anyone else, not for me," Magnus whispered back. 

Alec closed his eyes, his expression pained, and pulled Magnus closer to him. They stayed like this for a long while, gripping each other tightly. 

"How long did he give you?" Magnus finally asked. 

"Six months," Alec said quietly.

"Si-six months?" Magnus whispered, heartbroken. "Oh, Alexander."

"One lifetime, remember?" Alec replied. "No matter how short or long. One lifetime to make the best of."

"Six months is not a lifetime!" Magnus said angrily, his ebbing fury returning in full force. 

"I've lived a long time, Magnus, more years than anybody has a right to live. I won't lie and say that it's enough, not now that I have you. I have never wanted to live so much as I have these past few weeks, with you. But what is done is done."

"The hell it is," Magnus said fiercely. An idea was blooming in his head. "I'm not giving you up without a fight."

"Magnus, please don't do anything rash," Alec said urgently, suddenly fearful as he took in the look on Magnus' face. 

"What if I could force your father to take back the deal?"

"What, and have you die instead? No!"

"No, the Mortal Cup. It can be used to control demons, right? I could use it to compel your father, couldn't I? Make him break the deal, give up his end of the bargain."

"I- no, Magnus, the risk-" 

"But I have to try, if there's even the slightest chance that it might work. I'm going to get the Cup, Alexander. I'm going to fix this," Magnus promised him. "This fight is far from over."


	10. Chapter 10

 

"Has anybody seen Magnus and Malcolm? They should have been back hours ago," Catarina asked as poked her head into the training room.

"Is Magnus not answering his phone again?" Ragnor frowned, letting the seraph blade that he had been using to spar with Raphael drop to his side. 

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Is it really so hard to guess where Magnus is?"  

"But he's supposed to be with  _Malcolm_ ," Catarina said. "Magnus wouldn't do that to Malcolm."

"Maybe Isabelle took Malcolm out. You know, see the sights, since he's not from New York," Simon suggested. Then his phone started ringing. "Oh, speaking of Isabelle- hello?"

Simon listened, and frowned. "What-? Isabelle, I can't heard you over Malcolm freaking out in the background. No, we're positive they aren't here, we haven't seen them either. Right, ok, bye."

"What's going on?" Catarina demanded.

"Isabelle says Alec and Magnus are missing."

 

 

They stood side by side at the edge of the shore of the East River, looking at the lights of the city reflected in the water as the sun disappeared over the horizon. The wind that arced off the river was icy cold. Magnus wondered for a brief moment what he and Alec might look like to mundane eyes, standing on the rocky shore facing the river together - would they look like two lovers about to fulfill a suicide pact?

Alec was casting a last round of spells for them, protective spells, and one that would allow them both to breathe underwater for a short time. This last one was the riskiest, because the running water of the river would wear it down very quickly, and Alec would have to keep renewing the spell for the both of them. Magnus, too, had his own preparations to make - runes of protection, soundlessness, night vision, strength, agility, stamina. 

"Ready?" Alec asked.

"Whenever you are, Alexander," Magnus replied with a smile.

They waded into the cold water together, but Magnus could barely feel the cold seeping through his clothes. This was pretty insane, even by his standards. But he and Alec had discussed it, and it seemed like the most feasible plan - if brute force was not going to work, they would have to steal the Cup back from the serpents by trickery. It would be easier for just the two of them to go under the cover of darkness, and not involve the rest. Besides, even as High Warlock of Brooklyn, there was a limit to Alec's magical resources - he couldn't waste it casting the complicated underwater spell for a whole throng of shadowhunters over and over again.  

It was a simple plan, as far as insane plans went - try not to wake the serpents. If they happened to be nocturnal, hopefully even river gods had to eat, and they would be out hunting, so Alec and Magnus could search the creatures' lairs in peace.  

The water was as high as Magnus' waist now; then his chest, and shoulders. Magnus took one last deep breath of air and dived into the dark water. 

 

 

"Parabatai tracking isn't working either," Raphael huffed in disgust.  

"I told you - warlock tracking is stronger!" Isabelle snapped in frustration. "If it didn't work for me, why would it work for you? Stupid nephilim!" 

"They must be somewhere over water," Catarina frowned. 

"Magnus said he would be back in a jiffy, but he wasn't," Malcolm said sadly. "Did you know that a jiffy is an actual measurement of time? It's a sixtieth of a second. You can't do anything in a jiffy, not really. Much less something complicated, like fight a sea serpent." 

"Sorry, what was that again?" Catarina said. 

Isabelle gasped. "Oh, that's right. You don't know yet... " 

 

 

The water of the East River was a nightmare all on its own. It was murky, disturbingly green, and had an odd metallic smell that reminded Magnus of ichor. He vaguely remembered reading that it was so polluted that it was dangerous to swim in it, even though the mundanes continued to organise some sort of swimming competition in it every year. Visibility was low, and the current was swift and strong. Magnus was a passable swimmer but he could feel his strength rune burning as he struggled against the current. 

He felt Alec's hand on his shoulder, and stilled. Alec must have seen signs of the beast. They had decided to try the East River first - say whatever you like about Asmodeus, but the guy usually knew what was going on. Magnus had come up with the idea of checking the places where the sewers connected to the waterway partly because of the urban legend of alligators in the New York sewers, and partly because of a bit in a book he had sneaked from Simon (although he would never admit to it) where a basilisk had been using the pipes to travel around. They were very close now to the creature's possible lair.

Magnus looked to where Alec was pointing. There were a mass of dark shapes churning in the silt and muck of the river bottom, lumpy things the colour of oil slicks that were too small to be their quarry and too large to be normal sea creatures. There were at least a hundred of them blocking the way forward, and it would be difficult to sneak around them undetected in the narrow river channel. One of the things raised its head out of the mud and Magnus saw the protective coating of its oval mirror-like eyes glint in the dark. Magnus had seen them in the demonology book he had been reading - Teuthida demons. Magnus hesitated; he couldn't use a normal blade on the demons, but if he used his seraph blade, the glow from the blade would give their position away. Something glinted, half-buried in the mud - Magnus tugged at it gingerly, and was surprised to find that it was a sword with the angelic rune enkeli carved in its hilt. It was well-made and strangely familiar, and most importantly, a blade that could kill demons even though it was not a seraph blade. Magnus shrugged and freed it from the mud, not one to pass up on a free weapon.

Magnus had an impression of a shadow entering his vision. They crouched low - Magnus with his hand on the handle of his new blade, and Alec ready to blast whatever was coming in - and then the Teuthida demons scattered in a panic as a huge serpent dove down at them, snapping whatever it could catch in its jaws. The serpent had a sinuous body as thick as an oak trunk, and it was covered with a pattern of green and blue scales that rippled like light through the waves as it twisted and darted after the fleeing demons. It had silver bulbous eyes in a clever, sharp face, and when it stretched its mouth wide to swallow its prey, Magnus saw rows and rows of sharp fangs. They kept very still as the great serpent wrecked its havoc on the horde of demons, but Magnus was starting to feel the burn in his lungs - Alec's spell was wearing off. 

There was nothing for it - they would just have to hope that the serpent was distracted enough by its food. Alec recast the charm quickly, his magic flaring blue around them for a split second. They remained on guard; but the serpent paid them no attention, and Magnus relaxed. In time, the feeding frenzy slowed down, the Teuthida demons either devoured or frightened away, and the serpent blinked sleepily. Perhaps it would go back to its lair now to sleep off its meal, and they would be able to follow it.

Magnus should have known things were not going to go that easily.

The serpent fixed its gaze unerringly on the spot where they were hiding, and when it spoke, it spoke into their minds, the way the Silent Brothers did. 

_And what might you be?_

 

 

"Why would Magnus do something like this?" Catarina fretted, the wind whipping her hair around her face as the yacht zipped down the East River at an unnatural speed. "This is so out of character for him!" 

"Actually, I kind of had the impression that going in without a plan was _very_ in character," Simon muttered.

"Oh, not that - I mean trying to retrieve the Cup on his own," Catarina said distractedly. 

"But - it's one of the angel's relics. The Clave would want it back." 

"And since when has Magnus ever cared what the Clave wants?" Ragnor snorted. "If nobody's in any immediate danger of dying, Magnus would rather go shopping." 

"Besides, Alec is supposed to be the sensible one. I can't believe he's going along with whatever hare-brained scheme Magnus has come up with," Catarina said.

"Hey, nobody gets to badmouth my brother except me," Isabelle called from the prow of the yacht, where she was driving it across the water with her magic. "And anybody who wants to kill him for this stupidity will have to get in line behind me."

 

 

Alec placed his own body in front of Magnus' immediately, but Magnus grasped his wrist and pulled him aside gently.  

"Oh, mighty god of the East River, you are indeed as magnificent as the stories say," Magnus said, his voice bubbling in the water - could the creature even hear him like this? He bowed low even though he hated not being able to keep his eyes on the serpent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alec following his example.

_Ah_ , the serpent said, amused. _At least these ones have manners. Why have you come to disturb me?_  

"We have come to beg a favour," Alec said.

_Of course. It is always so._

"And, to bring a gift," Magnus improvised wildly.

_Oh?_ the serpent said, its body coiling around itself, as if to make itself more comfortable.

Magnus twisted a ring off one of his fingers - a thin gold band with an aquamarine set in the middle. He held it out in his palm, and the ring shot out into the water towards the serpent, vanishing among its coils.

"It was my mother's. It is dear to my heart," he explained.

_A pretty trinket_ , the serpent acknowledged. _What favour do you seek?_

"I threw something into the river, to put it out of the reach of an evil man," Magnus explained. "But we have heard that you have, in your great wisdom, vanquished him. In the name of the Battle That Never Ends, we ask that you return it to us, so that we may continue our mission against the darkness."

_A poor argument,_ the serpent said. _For evil always lies in the hearts of men. Another may come, who will wish to use this thing of yours for evil ends._

"But there is good in men too. We are fighting the same fight," Alec said. 

_I would not speak of good and evil if I were you, demon-blooded one,_ the serpent snarled.

"Oh dear," Magnus said, looking crestfallen. "Tell me, Alec, did I get the two gods mixed up again? I thought it was the East River god who had the card, but perhaps it's the Hudson River god who has it."

Magnus doubted Alec had understood a word of what he said, what with all the bubbles coming out of his mouth and the muffling effect of the water; he shook his head at Magnus in puzzlement. 

Magnus continued blithely as if Alec had answered him. "But surely it must be the Hudson River god who has it - the mighty god of the East River wouldn't refuse us such an important thing for our noble cause if he had it."

_Are you calling me a liar?_ the serpent snarled, uncoiling his body and thrashing around in agitation.

"No, of course not, most generous one!" Magnus assured him. "Just that, well, I get it. Sometimes it's a matter of pride. It's hard to admit that your brother was quicker, and got his hands on the treasure before you did. We're sorry to have bothered you."

_My brother does not have the Angel's Cup!_ the serpent roared. 

"It's ok, really! You don't have to feel embarrassed!" Magnus insisted.

_Behold!_ the serpent roared triumphantly, and Magnus saw the card glowing among the serpent's coils. 

Magnus didn't even need to say anything to Alec - the warlock shot out a bolt of magic and snatched the card from the serpent, then grabbed hold of Magnus around his waist and shot upwards to the surface of the water. Magnus could hear the serpent roaring with rage, could feel the water around them churning as the powerful creature swam after them - he plucked an iron dagger from his belt and threw it behind him blindly. Much to his surprise, there was a roar of pain from the serpent, although to be fair it was hard to miss a target the size of a subway train. Unfortunately, that tiny dagger was only going to serve to distract - and further enrage - the serpent. They broke to the surface with a gasp, with Alec still holding on to Magnus. 

"I really feel like Lois Lane being rescued by Superman now," Magnus quipped.

"Seriously, Magnus?" Alec huffed, scanning the horizon.

The water around them suddenly started swirling, like a whirlpool.

"Shit. We might not have thought this through properly," Magnus said, gripping his borrowed blade firmly and trying to peer down into the murky depths.

"There!" Alec suddenly shouted, and shot a bolt of magic at an approaching boat. The bright cord of magic twisted into a glowing blue rope, and Alec pulled them out of the water and onto the boat.  

"Ok scratch that - apparently you're Spiderman and I'm Mary Jane Watson," Magnus said breathlessly. He sat up and untangled himself from Alec only to find himself facing the worried and angry faces of his friends.

"By the angel, the both of you better have a damned good explanation for this," Catarina said crossly.

Simon, who had been staring into the water behind them, cut in: "Um, guys - that explanation is going to have to wait. We've got a bigger problem here - a _much_ bigger problem." 

Even with the yacht shooting across the water at supernatural speed, Magnus could see the body of the serpent swirling in their wake and catching up fast.

"Actually," Magnus murmured, "make that two serpents." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Edited on 5th Sept to add a minor plot point I missed out.


	11. Chapter 11

 

Alec came up to stand beside Magnus. "We have to Portal everybody out. I'll take over the yacht from Izzy, and-"

"We're not doing that again, Alec!" Isabelle shouted from the prow. "The last time we let you and Magnus stay behind, Magnus almost got himself killed."

"What?!" Catarina gasped.

"Explanations later, I promise," Magnus said distractedly.

"Would the sunlight rune work?" Simon asked. 

"They are not demons," Magnus said. "But that could be a good distraction."

Alec nodded in agreement. "I have a plan."

Within moments, Izzy had a Portal open. Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael went through first.

"Now, Simon!" Alec called out.

Simon blasted the water with his sunlight rune; the serpents, who were almost upon the small yacht, recoiled in surprise from the burst of light and writhed blindly in the water. Alec took advantage of their distraction to cast a web of magic over them, and while the two serpents got themselves hopelessly tangled in the complicated weaving, Magnus and Simon leapt through the Portal, followed by Alec and Izzy. They landed in a heap on Alec's living room floor. Chairman Meow mewed plaintively from underneath the couch. 

Simon immediately started dry-heaving. "I hate Portals," he said weakly. 

"That wasn't too bad. Pity about the yacht, though," Magnus said cheerfully.

"Well, you had to give up your mother's ring; the yacht didn't have any sentimental value for us," Alec replied. 

"Alexander, I bought that ring for fifteen bucks from a pawn shop," Magnus laughed breathlessly. Alec shook his head and huffed in fond exasperation.

"Hey, where's Malcolm, anyway?" Magnus said, fishing his terrified kitten out from under the couch. "Did he get back to the Institute ok?"

"Rebecca's with him," Ragnor explained. "We thought he'd had rather enough excitement for one day. Besides, he can be rather... distracting." 

Catarina was fidgeting with her phone as if she was expecting a call at any moment, full of nervous energy. "Thora and Sigurd are going to kill us," she muttered. "The fall-out from this - the serpents are going to go crazy and wreck havoc on New York City. That was really irresponsible of us! We _really_ didn't think this through." 

Isabelle, who was already looking a bit exhausted from expanding her magic too much, paled even further.

"Alec, would this count as Magnus becoming a threat to the Downworld?" she whispered.

Magnus exchanged a glance with Alec. "Perhaps all of you should sit down for this."

 

 

It was a relief to finally have everything laid out in the open. Alec let Magnus speak for the both of them, his fingers intertwined with Magnus'. Magnus didn't leave anything out; starting from Asmodeus running Magnus through with his sword, to the deal Alec had made to save Magnus', to the recklessness that had resulted in Alec accepting the _geas_ from the warlock council, and Magnus' selfish reasons for wanting to retrieve the Mortal Cup.

When Magnus finally stopped speaking, Isabelle was shaking with silent tears. Alec made a move towards her, but she turned away from him, hugging herself tightly. Instead, Catarina went to Isabelle and placed an arm around her.

"I know this may not mean much to you, but I swear on the angel that if the Lightwoods ever need our help, we will do all in our power to help you," Ragnor said stiffly. "You saved our brother, Alec."

"Ok, I don't want to be a downer, but didn't Asmodeus say the card was charmed so that only he could take the Cup out?" Simon said. 

"Izzy and I knew Max the best, including his magical signature," Alec said. "I know Max - he would have left a loophole somewhere. There's a good chance Izzy and I could find another way to take out the Cup."

"Max?" Isabelle said, startled. "What does this have to do with Max?" 

Alec held up the magical tarot card that they had stolen from the serpent of the East River. "According to Magnus, this is the reason Max was killed the way he was," Alec explained quietly. "Asmodeus needed a warlock to create this spell."

"Oh my god," Isabelle sobbed, reaching for the card. She cradled it reverently in her palms.

"Will you help me with this?" Alec asked his sister gently.

She wiped her eyes and glared at him. "I'll help you take the Cup out, for Max's sake. But we're not going through with this ridiculous plan of summoning our father to make him take back the deal. There must be another way around it."

"What?" Magnus gasped in puzzlement. "Why the hell not?"

"Summoning demons is never a good idea," Isabelle said stubbornly. "You think this sounds simple, and easy, but it's not going to be. There is always a price to pay."

"I can't think of any other way, Izzy," Alec admitted. "I've been wracking my brain for weeks now."

"You don't have to do this alone now. We have six months - well, four, now," Isabelle's voice broke a little. "We could ask around, go to the Spiral Labyrinth-"

"Isabelle, there are currently two serpents wrecking havoc on New York City," Raphael said tightly. "How long do you think we can hide the reason why they've gone berserk? Do you think the Clave is going to let us hold on to a Mortal Instrument for four months while we try to find an alternative solution to save a _warlock_?" 

"Hey, hey - how about we try to get that Cup out first before we make any more plans?" Simon suggested reasonably. "Because if we can't even get it out, the point is moot."

Isabelle hesitated, and placed the card on the table between her and Alec. She ran a hand over it, frowning; the magic crackled from her fingers, sparks of red dancing from her hand to the card. Alec added his own blue wisps of magic to her efforts, red and blue swirling around the card like a caress. 

Alec shook his head. "I don't think we can get this out by force." 

Isabelle picked it up and examined it, then smiled. "Oh, clever Max! It's a blood spell, I think - anybody with Asmodeus' blood should be able to take out the Cup. Magnus, you try. Just reach in." 

Magnus looked dubious, but mimicked Asmodeus' actions from long ago. Much to his surprise, his hand slid through the surface of the card - it was as easy as reaching into a drawer - and his fingers closed around the cool stem of the _adamas_ goblet.  

Magnus pulled back and looked at the Cup in his hand. It was about the size of an ordinary wineglass, but was much heavier than he'd expected. Power thrummed through it, like the pulse of a living thing. 

"Somehow, I thought it would be bigger. You know..." Simon gestured with his hands, indicating something roughly the size of a wash basin.

"It's called the Mortal _Cup_ , Simon. Have you never seen a cup before?" Raphael asked testily. 

"We did it, Alexander," Magnus breathed. "We got the Cup."

 

 

Magnus shut the door to the spare bedroom carefully after making sure there was enough food and water for both cats. 

"Are you sure you want to do this now? You guys look dead on your feet," Simon said.

"I have a stamina rune and I'm not afraid to use it," Magnus grinned, throwing a wink at Alec. To his disappointment, Alec didn't even react to it.

“Did you know there's an old Downworlder saying about mad dogs and Nephilim never heeding a warning?” Isabelle hissed. "Alec, you have to stop this madness!"

"I'm doing this, Izzy," Alec said firmly. 

"Then go ahead, but don't expect me to stay and watch," Isabelle whispered. She threw her hands out to create a swirling Portal, and disappeared through it. 

"Alec, are you sure about this?" Catarina asked doubtfully. "Your sister..."

"We'll be fine," Alec insisted, and went off to gather the required items. 

It didn't take long for Alec to set up the protective circle of black candles and draw the runes of protection and summoning in the pentagram. When he was done, they each took one point in the pentagram - Alec, Magnus, Ragnor, Raphael and Simon. Then Alec closed his eyes, and began speaking.

Magnus recognised the first part as the Latin version of the Lord's prayer, but inverted - speaking of hell rather than heaven. Then -

"Marbas, who rules all things hidden and secret, who brings the plague and blight, come to me now; I call you as your son, and incur upon myself the responsibility of your summoning," Alec finished the spell, and smoke began to rise within the confines of pentagram.

"Wait - Marbas, as in the Great General of Hell? Commander of the Thirty-six Legions? _That's_ who Alec's father is?" Ragnor whispered. 

"Ah, it's nice to hear that the Nephilim are taught to know more about their betters these days," Marbas said as he coalesced into a human form. "Why have you summoned me here, Alexander? Your time is not up yet."

Magnus held the Cup out firmly in front of him. "By the power of the Mortal Cup, I command that you release Alexander Lightwood from his deal with you."

Marbas eyed the Cup disdainfully. "Who do you think I am, boy? The Cup may allow you to command the hordes, but it has no effect on someone as powerful as me." 

"Then a trade," Magnus insisted. "The Cup in return for Alexander's freedom. Surely the Angel's relic is more valuable to you than a life?" 

"Why would I want that little trinket, when I could have your pain and suffering?" Marbas laughed. "You don't understand what it is to be a demon, do you? We feed on pain, but physical torment is child's play - any common demon can do that. Why do you think I gave Alexander all that extra time, when I could have dragged him down with me the moment the deal was made?"

"What do you mean?" Alec asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"To be an artist of pain; to create agony, to blacken the soul, to turn pure motives to filth, and love to lust and then to hate, to turn a source of joy to a source of torture - that is what we demons exist for!" Marbas grinned maliciously. "I saw the way you looked at the Nephilim boy, and I hoped - and oh, Alexander, you have truly done me proud. Look at what you have done to the both of you!"

"Alexander hasn't done anything to me," Magnus said fiercely. "Don't you dare talk as if he somehow made me fall in love with him by trickery."

"Yes, and that is the beauty of it," Marbas said. "You fell in love with him of your own free will. He decided to give himself a chance, one last chance - and in doing so he has doomed you both to agony for the rest of your lives."

"We are not doomed. We still have four months left, and we will find a way to break this," Magnus snarled. 

"Do you really think so?" Marbas looked Magnus in the eye, then crooked a finger - Alec gasped when he was pulled into the pentagram. Marbas smirked, revealing a mouth full of pointed teeth, but Alec's face remained stoic as he looked up defiantly into his infernal father's face, only his white-knuckled fists betraying his emotions. 

"You can't do that - his deal with you, there's still four months of it left-" Magnus said in shock. He made to follow Alec into the pentagram, but Ragnor and Raphael held him back.  

"He's a Greater Demon, Magnus, they can't be killed!" Catarina cried out. 

"Ah, Nephilim boy - but have you forgotten the terms on which I was called into this pentagram?" Marbas asked slyly. " _Alec took upon himself the responsibility of my summoning_."

Magnus gaped as the realisation dawned. "By the angel, Alexander. You knew. You suspected this might happen, if the Cup didn't work."

Alec closed his eyes as if he was in pain. 

"We've only been together for a little while, Magnus," he said softly. "It will be easier for you to forget me now, than if I'd let this go on. I didn't want to have this hanging over us for another four months, only to have it end in heartbreak anyway. I have been selfish enough already. I wanted to spare you the misery." 

Marbas roared with laughter at that. "Oh, this just keeps getting better! Alexander, for all your centuries of living, it is amazing how naive you still are, and how much you don't know. Didn't you know, that when a Nephilim falls in love it is forever? For they have the blood of angels in them, and the love of angels is a high and holy thing."

Alec looked stricken. "I'm so sorry, Magnus. But I'm not worth it." 

"Don't give up, Alexander, please."

Alec took a deep breath. "Promise me you'll be happy." 

"I can't, Alexander-" 

"Well, this has been very entertaining, but you are beginning to bore me," Marbas interrupted. 

There was a flash of fear in Alec's eyes. Marbas snapped his fingers, and before anybody could do anything else, he had vanished with Alec, leaving behind nothing but a scorch mark on the floor and the lingering stench of sulfur. 


	12. Chapter 12

 

It was odd to see Magnus like this: without any make-up and without a single spot of polish on his nails, his hair combed flat, and dressed in the simple black T-shirt and pants that were standard issue for all shadowhunters. He didn't even wear his rings and necklaces anymore, not even the Bane family ring. Raphael had explained to Simon that for shadowhunters, the colour of grief was white - but it didn't take a genius to see that Magnus was in mourning.

Eat. Training. Go on patrol. Sleep. Repeat. That's Magnus did these days, although to be honest, Simon wasn't so sure about the sleeping part.

There had been a lot to do in the month since Alec had been taken. The most pressing problem had of course been the two serpents, who had caused both the East River and the Hudson River to flood over their banks. For at least a week after that, no shadowhunter or demon-blooded creature had been able to go near either river without being attacked. Thora's attempts to pacify them with gold and precious stones were all rejected, until they finally thought to offer enchanted items, procured from the warlocks at a great expense. 

There been many complaints about Magnus from the various downworld factions, although the Clave had taken his side because he had retrieved the Mortal Cup for them. With the threat of Asmodeus removed as well, Magnus was the Clave's golden boy. So he had been let off with a warning and was no longer allowed to have any interactions with downworlders. Through it all, Magnus remained indifferent.  

Eat. Training. Go on patrol. Sleep. Repeat.

"Hey man. You ok?" Simon said when he bumped into Magnus in the mess hall one morning.

Magnus stared blankly at Simon, then got up to leave his empty bowl at the sink and left without a word. It made Simon feel even worse about the whole thing. 

 

 

The truth of it was, Magnus was angry. He was angry at himself, angry at Asmodeus, angry at Marbas, angry at his friends - but most of all, he was angry at Alexander. 

Someone, probably well-meaning Simon, had left a pamphlet under Magnus' door about dealing with the loss of a loved one and the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, then acceptance. Magnus felt like he had skipped the denial stage and gone right to anger. Anger at Alexander for being a self-sacrificing idiot. Anger that he hadn't believed how much Magnus loved him. Anger that Magnus was now trapped in this feeling of nothingness and helplessness. Why was he never enough for anybody he loved? 

He had escaped to one of the training rooms to work off some steam, but someone was already there. Magnus watched in admiration as Malcolm put himself through the paces of a complicated routine with a seraph blade. For someone who was really quite dotty, he wasn't half bad. 

"Magnus!" he said cheerfully when he spotted Magnus. "I'm all done. You can have this space," Malcolm told Magnus, and flopped down on the floor mat to snack on a banana he had apparently sneaked up from the kitchens. 

"Did you know that banana plants can walk?" Malcolm asked. One good thing about hanging out with Malcolm was that he never mentioned Alec or tried to express his sympathy.

"You'd better not let Mrs F or Catarina catch you eating in here. We'll get rats," Magnus told him.

"If we get rats, you could bring your cats here!"

Ah. That was also a problem with Malcolm - he was obsessed with cats. And mentioning the cats made Magnus think of Alec.  

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Malcolm said, face falling. "I didn't mean to make you sad." 

"It's ok," Magnus said, taking a deep breath. "To be honest, I think I'm more angry than sad." 

"Maybe you can try something my Da taught me. Whenever I'm angry, I try to think of something good that makes me happy, until the angry feeling goes away. For me, I always think of kittens." 

"Then you must be a very angry man, Malcolm, considering you always have kittens on the brain," Magnus said wryly. 

Malcolm grinned at him and shrugged. 

"You know, I think you're right though. Maybe spending some time with the cats will make me feel better. If anyone's looking for me, don't tell them where I went, ok?"

"Sure! Have fun!" Malcolm said with a smile and a wave. 

Wouldn't it be nice to have a simple life like Malcolm, full of thoughts of kittens and ridiculous things, Magnus thought. 

  

 

The cats didn't come to the door when Magnus entered Alec's apartment. Magnus frowned. He came at least once a day, usually on the way to patrol, to leave food and water. The cats always came to the door now, even the Great Catsby. 

"Chairman? Catsby?"

He wasn't expecting Isabelle Lightwood to come out of the spare room, with one cat in each arm and tears running down her face. He hadn't seen her since the day she had left the apartment in a fit of anger and despair.

"Magnus?" she sobbed. She ran to him and buried her face in the front of his shirt.

"Hey," Magnus swallowed thickly. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"He said you'd be here for me, when I needed someone. He made me promise that I'd be there for you too," she choked out. "Gods, I hate him so much."

Magnus felt his heart wrench and made a sound in between a laugh and sob. "I know the feeling, darling."

"I wasn't even here when it happened, because I was too much of a coward," Isabelle whispered. 

"You are many things, Isabelle Lightwood, but you're not a coward," Magnus scolded. "He wouldn't have wanted you to have to see it anyway."  

"I didn't even get to say goodbye, Magnus."

"He was standing right in front of me, and I didn't get to say goodbye either - not properly," Magnus replied quietly. "I didn't want to believe that I had to. And then he was already gone."

They clung together like that for a while, united in their grief and sorrow.

"I thought you'd hate me, to be honest," Magnus admitted.

"I did," Isabelle said. "I did for a while. But I know he loves you, and you love him. He always was an idiot, my big brother. If I was going to hate anybody, I'd hate our father for doing this to him." 

"Tell you what, Isabelle - if you find a way to kill Marbas, I want in on it," Magnus said fiercely. "I've been looking in the books for a way to do it, but they all say you can't kill a Greater Demon, not really. The most that can be done is I might be able to scatter his essence in the Void, but he would still be able to return..." 

"No! You can't do that!" Isabelle said urgently. "If you do that, goodness knows how long it will take for Marbas to reform. I can't free Alec if Marbas is scattered to the winds of the Void." 

"Free Alec...?" Magnus repeated. "What do you mean? Do you mean Alexander... He isn't dead?"

Isabelle shook her head. "I summoned a demon - a minor demon. I had to find out what happened to Alec after, and the demon said he isn't dead. Marbas is using Alec's life force to fuel his realm." 

"What does that even mean?" Magnus barked out in frustration. "Are you telling me Alexander is stuck in some demon realm being used as some sort of living battery?"

"Sort of - he's trapped in limbo now, you see. I don't know how much of him is awake, or alive, but-" 

"The longer we wait, the less of Alexander there will be left to rescue. By the angel, Isabelle, why didn't you come to me with this sooner?!" Magnus growled. This was worse than Alec being dead. Just the thought of Alec being trapped there, alone, in a hellish dimension... A whole month. He had already been there for a whole month, and time moved differently in the different dimensions. 

"Magnus, I don't want you to get your hopes up," Isabelle said quietly. "You're think of rescue, of getting him back. But there might not _be_ anything to get back. The best I was going to hope for, was letting my brother finally be at peace. Do you understand?"

"I- by the angel, Isabelle. Yes, of course," Magnus said, voice trembling a little. "Anything would be better than whatever he's going through now."

"Even if... if we might have to... oh gods, Magnus. I can't. I can't even say it, I don't even want to _think_ it-"

Magnus closed his eyes in pain. "Don't... Isabelle. Please. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, alright? Let's get to Alexander first. One step at a time."

"One step at a time," Isabelle repeated to herself, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"How were you planning to do this?"

"I know how to get to the hell dimension - that part is easy enough. There is an entrance to it through the Seelie Court."

Magnus sighed. "Of course it would have to be through the Seelie Court. But how do we force Marbas to give up Alexander? And don't you dare suggest a deal of any sort with Marbas. I think Alexander would rather die a thousand painful deaths than to let you do that." 

"No, no more deals. I wouldn't trust Marbas to honour it anyway. I was going to go to the Spiral Labyrinth to look for ideas."

"Let's go now, then. Two sets of eyes are better than one." 

"No, Magnus, you can't go into the Spiral Labyrinth," Isabelle frowned. "Only warlocks are allowed. There are all sorts of protections in place against non-warlocks - especially shadowhunters."

"Isabelle, I've been out of my mind with this feeling of... I just feel so _useless_. I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around and wait when I could be _doing_ something," Magnus said impatiently. "It's a library, right? Contrary to Ragnor's opinion, I can handle a library."

 

 

As it turned out, calling the Spiral Labyrinth a library was like calling the maiden voyage of the Titanic a minor boating accident.

"Your library is guarded by a three-headed dog and there are traps and ambushes set in the shelves? It's like you don't want people to actually read this stuff," Magnus said wryly. 

Isabelle hushed him and handed him a ball of yarn. She had tied the other end of it to a table leg in the main sitting area. 

Magnus eyed it dubiously. "Are we also going to have to slay the minotaur? Although I think I would probably look fabulous in one of those flowy ancient Greek tunics." 

"People have been known to get lost in here, alright?"

Magnus peered down the endless rows of shelves. There were no lights in the Labyrinth - he supposed warlocks were expected to bring their own torches, or at least conjure their own lights. The shelves seemed to open up into an infinite darkness.

"Well, darling, I hope these books are arranged according to some sort of system, otherwise we are going to be here for a very long time." 

Isabelle held out a hand, and Magnus took it. She stuck one hand out in front of her, fingers spread, and closed her eyes. Magnus felt the world shift and his stomach lurched like they were going through a Portal, and suddenly Magnus found himself in a completely different part of the Labyrinth. The yarn in his hand was half gone and pulled taut; he let it out a little, and watched in fascination as it readjusted itself round the corner of one shelf.

"This shelf," Isabelle whispered, pointing. "But don't touch anything - let me be the one to take the books off the shelves, ok?"

It seemed like they spent at least a couple of hours there - Isabelle pulling books out to hand to Magnus, or Magnus indicating the occasional title. Ragnor would probably have done better here, Magnus thought, given his greater proficiency with the languages, but Magnus could read a few with relative fluency - Latin, French, even a bit of the demonic language Purgatic. 

"How about this green one?" Magnus suggested, trying to read the spine sideways.

Isabelle hummed and pulled it off the shelf. Magnus realised with disgust that the book wasn't actually green, just mouldy. It even looked slightly damp. There were suspicious stains on some of the thin parchment pages, and words written on them glowed like fire.

Magnus frowned when Isabelle turned a page. "Wait - I recognise that. That's the Mortal Sword, isn't it?"

Isabelle paused to read, then turned pale, shaking her head. 

"What is it?"

"The Ritual of Infernal Conversion. The angel's sword is a powerful weapon, but like the Cup, its ability to command demons is limited. But if we reversed the alliance of the Sword, made it a demonic weapon rather than an angelic one, it would give the wielder the power to command and summon any demon - even a Greater Demon."

"What? That's good news, isn't it - it's exactly what we've been looking for! Provided we can get our hands on the Mortal Sword, of course."

"But we can't," Isabelle said. 

"Why the hell not?!"

"To perform the Ritual of Infernal Conversion, you need to seethe the Sword until it's red-hot, then cool it four times, each time in the blood of a Downworld child. Once in the blood of a child of Lilith, once in the blood of a child of the moon, once in the blood of a child of the night, and once in the blood of a child of faerie," Isabelle explained. "Four children - four lives in exchange for my brother's freedom." 

Magnus hummed, deep in thought.

"You can't _actually_ be considering it," Isabelle said, aghast. 

"Do you know how we proved to the Clave that Asmodeus Bane was really and truly dead?"

"What does that have anything to do with this?"

"I found a sword by chance, when Alexander and I were looking for the serpent of the East River. As it turns out, that was the Bane family sword, that was never recovered. It has our family motto on the blade, you see," Magnus said. " _Fléctere si néqueo súperos Acheronta movebo_ \- If I cannot move heaven, I will raise hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case this bit about discovering the Bane sword is confusing for you, it may be because you read an older version of Chapter 10. (I went back to edit it after I checked my notes and I realised I'd missed out that little plot point.)


	13. Chapter 13

 

 

"On one hand, Magnus disappearing without a word in the middle of the day is the most normal behaviour he's shown in weeks. On the other hand, how has he managed to go somewhere _untrackable_?" Catarina growled in frustration. 

She had been in the little meeting room they had been using during their research into Tethys, sorting out the books they had squirrelled away with Simon and Rebecca's help so they could be returned to the respective Institutes, when Ragnor and Raphael had burst in to tell her that Magnus hadn't turned up for patrol. 

"You don't think he's... gone and done something stupid?" Simon asked nervously. 

"No!" Ragnor looked unnerved. "He wouldn't."

Raphael was scowling, deep in thought. "Not in the way you're thinking. But I wouldn't put it past him to try to summon Marbas himself."

"Shit. Can he do that? Doesn't he need a warlock for summoning demons?" Simon asked.

"Isabelle," Raphael and Ragnor said at the same time.

Just then, there was the quiet hum of a Portal bursting into existence. Isabelle Lightwood was dragging Magnus through by the arm. Simon caught a glimpse of some place that looked a lot like Central Park behind them before the Portal snapped shut.

"Was that really necessary?" Magnus groused, pulling his arm out of Isabelle's grasp.

"The Institute wards. How...?" Ragnor gaped.

"They are Alec's wards - piece of cake," Isabelle said dismissively. "Now help me talk some sense into Magnus before he thinks it's a good idea to murder four children just to free my brother."

There was an uproar at that announcement, with everybody trying to talk at the same time:

"Wait, what?" 

" _Murder four children_?!"

"Alec is alive?"

"I wasn't going to-!"

"What in Raziel's name is that supposed to mean?"

" _Por favor_ , Isabelle. Did you really expect us to believe that Magnus would even consider such a thing?" Raphael snapped.

"Also, where did Magnus even get such an idea?" Ragnor asked suspiciously. 

"From the beginning. Please," Catarina said, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

Magnus waited impatiently for Isabelle to finish explaining the situation, including the book they had found about the Ritual of Infernal Conversion. 

"You didn't even give me a chance to explain before you dragged me out of the Spiral Labyrinth! Look, I know it says the blood of four downworld children. But does it have to come from _one_ downworld child? Or can it be the blood from several downworld children collected to the average amount of blood one child would have?" Magnus pointed out reasonably. 

"And how do you propose to do that? Kidnap multiple downworld children and bleed them a little?" Raphael asked sarcastically. 

"We could, um, organise a blood drive?" Simon suggested. Raphael shot him a withering look. 

"What is a vampire child, anyway?" Rebecca asked. "I mean, I'd imagine that they are pretty rare, and even if they were turned as a child, they could really be hundreds of years old." 

"The book might be referring to a fledgling vampire, regardless of the age the person was turned. But there are villages in Transylvania where vampires and humans live in harmony. Sometimes when a child is really sick, they may be given to the vampires to be turned," Catarina explained. 

"And there's that tiny, _tiny_ problem of getting your hands on the Mortal Sword in the first place," Ragnor said. "What were you planning to do - march up to the Clave and ask if you could borrow their sacred angelic relic, pretty please?" 

"Alec is the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He's a valuable downworld ally right?" Simon pointed out. "The Clave _might_ agree."

"Are you forgetting that little detail where we have to turn that angelic weapon into a _demonic_ one?" Ragnor glared at him.

"Oh, right..."

"Is the process reversible?" Rebecca asked. Isabelle shook her head.

"You were planning on stealing the Sword, weren't you, Magnus?" Catarina cast a shrewd eye on Magnus.

"What you don't know won't hurt you, Cat," Magnus said carefully. 

"And you somehow thought we were going to let you do this alone?" Raphael scowled. 

Magnus frowned. "I can't ask you to do this for me. If I'm caught, I'd be guilty of high treason against the Clave. I'd be stripped of my runes and exiled."

"But-"

"No 'but's. I can't let you risk it. Think about what it would do to Thora and Sigurd if all of you were implicated," Magnus said firmly. 

"I swore on the angel that if Alec Lightwood ever needed my help, I would give it." Ragnor reminded him. 

"And I'm his parabatai, so wherever he goes, I go too," Raphael said, his jaw set stubbornly. 

Catarina crossed her arms and glared at the three boys. "I hope you didn't think that you'd be leaving me behind just because I'm your eminently responsible patrol leader."

"Um..." Simon began.

"Not you too!" Magnus cried out in frustration. "See, this is why I don't tell you anything."

"If you makes you feel better, I'm not particularly inclined to volunteer on a suicide mission for your boyfriend," Rebecca shrugged with a grin, and Magnus snorted.

"Look - Isabelle says that there might not be much of Alec left to save," Catarina reminded Magnus gently. "If it comes down to that, if you have to be the one to help put Alec to rest - you didn't think we'd let you go through literal Hell to do that alone?" Magnus let Catarina pull him into a hug.

"Besides, Alec is your - well, 'boyfriend' seems like a rather inadequate term at this point. That makes him our brother too," Ragnor said.

Isabelle, who had been sitting in a corner observing the proceedings, laughed a little sadly at that. "Alexander Lightwood, beloved of the Nephilim. Who would have thought it would ever come to that?"

Magnus looked around at the people gathered in the small room. He looked like he might cry, which made Simon feel really uncomfortable - it seemed like too private an emotion, one that Simon hadn't quite earned the privilege to witness.

Thankfully, they were interrupted by a loud blaring siren sounding throughout the Institute. Ok, maybe there really wasn't anything to be thankful about, because there was no way that horrible sound was a good thing.

"What's going on?" Rebecca asked.

"Distress call. All hands on deck," Catarina said. The boys were already on their feet and halfway out of the door. "Isabelle, given the circumstances..."

"I understand. I'll make myself scarce," she nodded. "I'll be in touch. Don't let Magnus do anything stupid, ok? My brother would never forgive me." She gave Catarina a quick hug and disappeared through a Portal.

 

 

They ran down to the command centre. All the shadowhunters on active duty were already collecting their weapons and getting in gear, so they all ran off to grab the necessities from the stores. When they got back, Catarina was already in gear, and obviously distraught, which wasn't like Catarina at all.

"What's wrong?" Ragnor asked.

"The distress call - it's from the City of Bones," Catarina explained. "It's under attack."

"What?" Ragnor looked flabbergasted. "I've never heard of the Silent Brothers calling for help."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Raphael said. "It's too much of a coincidence, isn't it?" 

"What is?" Simon asked in confusion.

"The Mortal Sword - it's kept in the City of Bones," Magnus explained.

There was no Portal that went to the City of Bones. The Silent Brothers had their own ways of transport, and it had always been the shadowhunters requiring the assistance of the Brothers, never the other way round. Instead, they were expected to run there, because apparently shadowhunters were too macho to use cabs. Simon wished, just a little, that they hadn't asked Isabelle to leave, although it might have been a little difficult explaining how she'd gotten into the Institute without coming in through the front door.  

Magnus, however, had no qualms about using mundane transport. 

"A hundred bucks if you can get us to the New York City Marble Cemetery in five minutes," he told the driver cheerfully, after all five of them had piled into the same cab.

It was a bit of a squeeze, but they were all glamoured except for Magnus and Catarina, so at least the driver wasn't going to make a fuss. The tires of the cab squealed as it lurched into gear and took off at breakneck speed, switching lanes like traffic rules had gone out of fashion.

"Holy crap," Simon cursed under his breath when the cab they were in only avoided getting flattened by a SUV by a hair's breadth. 

"Did you say something, son?" the driver asked Magnus.

"No, it's probably just my great-grand uncle," Magnus replied airily. "Do you mind going a little faster? I'm in a hurry to get him home on time - he gets pretty cranky, otherwise." Simon didn't think the cab couldn't go any faster, but it did.

They ran through three stop lights on the way there. The driver sped off once Magnus had paid up, especially since the doors appeared to open and close on their own.

"How did you even afford to pay him a hundred bucks?" Simon asked.

"That was a ten dollar bill. I glamoured it."

"Magnus!" Catarina said in exasperation.

"Hey, at least it wasn't a five, because that's all I have on me."

They were the first shadowhunters to arrive, although the rest were not far behind - a group of black-clad warriors were just visible in the distance. They ran in through the wrought iron gates of the cemetery until they reached the statue of an angel, right in the middle of the courtyard. The angel's eyes were closed, but at least its hands weren't covering its face like one of those Weeping Angels on Doctor Who, or Simon would have seriously freaked out. Instead, the angel was holding a cup in its hands - Simon instantly recognised it as a reproduction of the Mortal Cup. There were words inscribed around the base of the Cup: _Nephilim: facilis descensus averni_.

"It means 'for the angel-born, the descent into Hell is easy'," Ragnor explained.

"That's cheerful," Rebecca said warily.

"Oh, it's just the Brothers having a little joke," Magnus said. "You'll see."

He took a dagger from his belt and drew the blade of it across his bare palm. Blood welled from the shallow gash. Making a fist over the stone Cup, he let the blood drip into it. "Blood of the Nephilim," he explained. "It works as a key."

There was a grinding sound, and the grass at the Angel's feet began to split. Magnus jumped out of the way easily, and a yawning hole opened up, like an open grave. Simon could see the top of a flight of steep stone steps, leading underground until they were lost in the deep shadow. 

"Is it supposed to be so dark? All the visitors would break their necks," Simon pointed out. 

"Night vision rune, seraph blade, witchlight stone - take your pick," Raphael said wryly, already reaching for his own blade. 

They clambered down as quickly as they dared. The steps had been worn slippery-smooth over the centuries, which made Simon really thankful for the shadowhunter-issued boots. (But still not confident enough to be holding a pointy object, so it was a good thing the witchlight stone was always in his pocket.) The stairs led to an enormous hall supported by towering white arches. There were runes of mourning and protection carved into the marble floor, and several squat structures that looked like houses. 

"What are those?" Simon whispered - it seemed wrong to speak loudly here. He felt like he was in a very strict library. 

"Mausoleums," Raphael replied, his eyes scanning the darkness. 

"There are dead people here? From the cemetery above?" Rebecca gasped. 

"We burn our dead and keep the ashes here," Raphael explained. "Why do you think this is called the City of Bones?" 

"The Brothers aren't just our healers and archivists, they also take care of our dead," Ragnor added. "But it seems too quiet - not all the Brothers are here all the time, but someone should have come to meet us already."

At the end of the hall was a long tunnel that branched off at several points. Magnus led them all the way through to a smaller room with a slightly lower ceiling, and a long table of black basalt veined in white in the middle of the room. Inlaid silver stars sprinkled the floor like precious confetti. Or at least Simon assumed they had been silver, because they were all smeared with a dark red liquid now. 

"Is that blood?" Simon whispered.

"No, Solomon, it's cherry kool-aid," Magnus muttered as he scanned the room.

"There!" Catarina ran towards a oddly-shaped lump in the shadows, then gasped when she got closer. "He's been sliced almost in half."

Magnus held his seraph blade up high. It seemed to glow brighter, throwing its icy blue light on the walls. Simon noticed then that there were weapons lining the walls - swords, axes, staffs. But there was an empty space on the wall behind the table, and in place of whatever had been hanging there, there was a spray of crimson liquid.

"We're too late," Magnus breathed. "The Mortal Sword is gone."


	14. Chapter 14

 

There were whispers all around the Institute that day, and the day after. Who would have done this?

The Silent Brothers were archivists, and healers, but they had also been shadowhunters once. Whoever had stolen the Mortal Sword had slain six of the Brothers. Worst of all was losing the Mortal Sword after only having just retrieved the Mortal Cup after almost two decades.

"Could it have been demons?" Rebecca asked as they finished sorting out the books in the small meeting room, since they had been interrupted the day before. 

Catarina shook her head. "No traces of demonic activity. Anyway, the bones and ashes of shadowhunters repel demons, and, well, the City of Bones is practically made from the stuff."

"So either a downworlder, or a shadowhunter?"

Catarina sighed. "I hate to say it, but shadowhunter seems more likely. The Brothers who were killed were attacked by someone using a sword. The vampires and werewolves don't bother with weapons when they have fangs and claws, and the warlocks would use magic. The only downworlders who use blades are the faeries."

"We're lucky nobody's overheard Magnus' plans, or he'd be the number one suspect in this," Rebecca observed.

"Could it be a Circle member? We don't know for sure that none of them survived the attack by the serpent of the East River," Simon said. 

"I guess we won't know till they make their next move," Catarina replied. 

 

 

Meanwhile, Magnus, Ragnor and Raphael were in Alec's apartment, going through his books. The Institute library hadn't been very helpful on how to negotiate or control Greater Demons, since the general consensus according to the Clave was to either avoid engaging with them at all, or scatter their essence into the Void. Magnus supposed this was rather typical of their "stab first and ask questions never" attitude towards demons and downworlders. 

So far they had come up with two more plans: one, summon the Angel Raziel with the Mortal Instruments and compel him to rescue Alec, which was a horrible plan because it still required them to find the Mortal Sword, and then they would have to steal the Mortal Cup and find the Mortal Mirror (which nobody had seen since the Angel had made the first shadowhunter). Their second plan was a little more feasible but might not actually work, which was to trap Marbas in a special box called a Pyxis, and threaten to leave him inside until he freed Alec. The problem with that was of course that demons were not obligated to keep their promises, and that there were only two Pyxis in existence - one had been lost a century ago, and the other one was kept under lock and key in the London Institute, and already contained a Greater Demon. Magnus didn't think Greater Demons were particularly keen on sharing small spaces.

As the cats wound around their ankles, Magnus briefly regretted that they hadn't been able to bring Malcolm along to the apartment - they had decided it was for the best to keep him out of it, in case he blurted out something when he was daydreaming. One never knew what was going to come out of his mouth.

Alec had several books in Purgatic - the same language as the book in which they had found the Ritual of Infernal Conversion. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try since they couldn't go into the Spiral Labyrinth without a warlock's aid. Magnus had just put a book aside for Ragnor to read more carefully later, when an annoying electronic buzzing noise went off, echoing throughout the apartment. 

Magnus had his hand on the handle of his seraph blade before he realised it was the apartment buzzer downstairs. Whoever could it be? The wards should have repelled mundanes like evangelists and sales people, although it had probably been a while since they had been refreshed and it wasn't like Magnus could do anything about that. The warlocks in the area should have realised by now that Alec had gone missing.  

Magnus strolled over to the intercom. "WHO DARES TO DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN?" he boomed into the intercom. There was a stunned silence at the other end. Perhaps he had overdone it a little - Alec didn't have a single dramatic bone in his body.

"Alessa Blackthorn and Miach Blackthorn of the Seelie Court. We seek justice against the vampires, High Warlock Lightwood," a female voice said at the other end.

Magnus frowned. He thought one of the names sounded familiar. "If it's justice against the vampires you want, why not ask your Queen to speak to the Head of the New York Vampire clan, or go to the shadowhunters?"

"The Queen has dismissed our case, and we have been forbidden to approach the shadowhunters after the Daylighter threatened our Court," the Seelie girl replied. "Please, High Warlock. We have nowhere else to turn to."

Forbidden to approach the shadowhunters? That sounded intriguing. The fair folk and the vampires were usually on pretty good terms, seeing as they were both immortal and selfish buggers who only looked out for themselves. Also, it seemed like Simon had acquired a rather catchy nickname for himself amongst the Downworld.

"Alright, you'd better come on up," he conceded, and buzzed them in.

Magnus sprawled himself on the couch and waited. Soon enough, he saw two blond faeries coming up the stairs. They both had that unearthly beauty of the faeries, pointed ears and striking blue-green eyes. Magnus recognised the boy immediately - it was the faerie warrior who had escorted them to the Queen's side when they had visited the Seelie Court. He obviously recognised Magnus as well, and he and his sister hesitated at the front door.

"You're not High Warlock Lightwood," he pointed out cautiously.

"No, Alec is undisposed at the moment. He is my boyfriend. You said you aren't allowed to approach the shadowhunters for help, but technically you haven't - I just happened to be here. Frankly, a dispute between the downworld factions sounds more like our area than Alec's anyway. What can I do for you?"  

"It's about our youngest brother," the faerie girl said, her voice trembling a little. "He was found dead this morning in Central Park, his body drained of blood."

"Drained of blood?" Magnus sat up straighter at that, his heart pounding in his ears. "How old was your brother?"

"He was seven."

"Puncture wounds on the neck?"

"No," Alessa swallowed. "His neck and wrists were cut. But the vampires have been known to do that, to cover their tracks. Who else would have done such a thing anyway?"

It was too much of a coincidence - first the Mortal Sword going missing, and now a faerie child found dead and drained of blood... Magnus gave them a tight smile and excused himself to make some calls. First, to Simon, to ask him to contact Luke and keep a ear out for news from the werewolves; then to Catarina, to update her on the situation. His next call was going to be Isabelle, but she called him first.

"Magnus! I've been trying to reach you for the last ten minutes!"

"I had to make some calls, and I was just about to call you, actually. But you first."

"A warlock child was found dead an hour ago," Isabelle said. "His body was found in a dumpster in Manhattan, near vampire territory - his neck and wrists were cut and the body drained of blood."

"But you don't think it was the vampires, do you?"

"No. I haven't been able to get Jace on the phone yet, but vampires don't generally go for warlock blood. Jace says our demonic heritage makes the blood bitter."

"A faerie child has been killed," he told her, and she gasped in horror. "But who could it be? Who else knows about the Ritual, and why now?"

When Magnus finally went back to the faerie siblings, they were having a heated whispered conversation that stopped the moment they spotted him.

"It's probably not the vampires," he told them tiredly.

"Then who?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, too. But I promise you that I will find the murderer and your brother's death will not go unavenged. I swear it on the angel."

The faerie siblings exchanged a look with each other. 

"If you will help us, then it is only fair that we owe you a favour in return," the faerie boy told Magnus gravely. "If you ever need help from the fair folk, my sister and I are at your service."

"It's my duty as a shadowhunter. I don't need anything in return," Magnus protested.

" _Dios_ , Magnus, just take it. You never know when the aid of the fair folk might come in handy," Raphael said from the entrance of the study.

The faerie siblings stared back at Magnus with their unnerving eyes. He sighed. "Alright. Fine. I accept your kind offer." 

After the faeries had left, Magnus, Ragnor and Raphael opted to make their way back to the Institute. They had barely got on the subway when Catarina called. 

"I called up the Transylvanian Institute, on a hunch," Catarina said, sounding very agitated over the phone. "They found a dead vampire child last night, drained of blood." 

"By the angel," Magnus muttered. "But I was assuming whoever it was who had stolen the Sword was still in New York. How did they get all the way to Transylvania from the City of Bones, then get back in time this morning to kill the faerie child in Central Park?"

"And no warlock would be willing to work with them, would they?" Catarina mused. "Unless... that warlock child that you messaged me about."

Magnus felt sick. "This is like dealing with Asmodeus all over again." 

"But if whoever it is can't travel by Portal anymore, we might have a chance to stop them. We're going to have to protect all the werewolf children in New York," Catarina said.

"Whoever it is, they're moving fast," Magnus observed. "Alright, change of plans - we'll meet you at the headquarters of the New York wolf pack. You call Detective Luke Garroway, and get him to round up all the werewolf children. Whoever it is, If he wants to complete the Ritual, he's going to have to get through us first."

 

 

The New York wolf pack had made their headquarters in a Chinese restaurant called the Jade Wolf on Red Hook Dock. There were cells underneath the restaurant for when the wolves of New York needed a safe space to transform, and the various hulking empty rusting containers abandoned on the dock were really not as empty or abandoned as people might assume. The containers formed a protective maze around the restaurant and housed werewolves who, for whatever reason, could no longer live with their mundane families. It was a good spot to defend, with the additional benefit that it was surrounded by water, and therefore untrackable.  

Luke Garroway and his team at the NYPD moved fast - he had collected all the werewolf children within two hours, and they were all settled comfortably in the largest basement cell with plenty of snacks, books, toys, and as many game consoles as they'd been able to find. Any wolf who could spare the time had been called back to the Jade Wolf, and were patrolling the area in wolf form, and all the werewolves on the NYPD were stationed in various spots along the dock and within the restaurant, armed and ready for any sign of trouble. Admittedly, it was difficult to be on guard when they didn't know who to expect, but at least they were pretty sure their target was a shadowhunter. 

Magnus and Rebecca had stationed themselves outside the cell with Luke and another cop named Alaric, while Ragnor and Raphael had opted to patrol the perimeter. Catarina and Simon were inside the cell, helping the mothers with the werewolf children. Most of the children were understandably scared and confused, so Simon helped distract the older ones with comics and games, while Catarina helped sooth the younger ones. 

The last person Magnus expected to walk in was Malcolm, looking thoroughly confused about being frog-marched by a huge werewolf who looked like he might have more brawn than brains.

"Found this one wandering outside. He says he's with you lot," the werewolf said. "Kept going on about how fortune cats and fortune cookies are actually Japanese."

"Are we meeting here for dinner?" Malcolm asked. "But this is the basement, and the door said 'Staff Only'!"

Magnus rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Malcolm, how did you manage to find us?"

"Oh, I turned on the GPS on Rebecca's phone a while ago."

"You what?" Rebecca frowned.

"Lucky thing I did, really," Malcolm said a little absently, his gaze focussing on the children huddled in the cell behind them. "Otherwise I'd never have found the last one in the set."

"The set?" Magnus asked, a chill running down his spine and his hand already on the handle of his blade. It couldn't be, not Malcolm - silly dreamy Malcolm with his obsession with kittens and random ridiculous facts.

"The werewolf child, of course," Malcolm said, still sounding a little dreamy. "To complete the Ritual of Infernal Conversion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alessa and Miach were the names given to Helen Blackthorn and Mark Blackthorn by their faerie mother, the Lady Nerissa of the Seelie Court. (This information is from _The Dark Artifices_ )


	15. Chapter 15

 

 

Simon laughed nervously. "Dude, that's not really something to joke about, you know?" 

"How did you know about the Ritual?" Magnus demanded. 

"I overheard you in the meeting room that day. I knew you couldn't bring yourself to do it, so I did it for you," Malcolm beamed. He sounded as if he was talking about taking over laundry day from Magnus, instead of murdering children and performing dark rituals.

"Did it never occur to you, Malcolm, that I couldn't do it because it would be _wrong_?" Magnus asked, his voice shaking with anger. 

"But you were so sad, when Alec left. I didn't like to see you sad," Malcolm said, starting to sound a little unsure. "Isn't that what brothers should do? Take care of each other?"

" _Ragnor_ and _Raphael_ are my brothers. I barely know you - you don't get to call yourself my brother," Magnus frowned. "At this point, I'm not sure I even want to call you my friend."

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say, after all I've done for you," Malcolm said reproachfully.

"Wait - so this nutjob is the guy we're trying to stop?" the big werewolf who was holding on to Malcolm asked. 

"It's rude to interrupt a conversation," Malcolm snarled - Magnus had never seen that cruel expression on his face before. Malcolm twisted out of the werewolf's grasp and drew out a huge silver sword that had been hanging on his back, then swung it around and sliced the werewolf in half. 

The room erupted into a flurry of motion - Luke, Alaric, Magnus and Rebecca sprang into action, blades and guns out, and Catarina, Simon and the mothers in the cell formed a protective circle around the terrified children. The deafening blast of gunfire echoed in the small space, and the children screamed - but Malcolm wasn't there. Instead, there was a Malcolm-shaped hole into the abyss between the worlds, a shadow cast by nothing. Everyone froze in shock.

"Shit, how did he do that?" Simon whispered.

The shadow flickered, and Malcolm was standing there again, looking like he was made of flesh and blood again, and grinning proudly like a child that had just mastered a nifty trick. There was a strange gleam in his violet eyes, like they had been glowing just moments before. All the bullets had simply gone through him and into the concrete wall behind. He swung the sword in his hand, and Magnus realised that he had seen it before. It was the Mortal Sword - double-edged and with its hilt carved in the shape of outspread wings, but where the pure adamas blade had used to glow with a faint silvery light, it now seemed to absorb the light around it, an inverted radiance.

"As you can see, the transformation is almost complete," Malcolm said.

"Malcolm, you have to stop," Magnus said, trying for a reasonable tone of voice.

"Why? Don't you want Alec back?" Malcolm asked in confusion.

"Yes, but not this way," Magnus said a little desperately, wondering how to make the mad shadowhunter understand.

Malcolm smiled brightly at Magnus. "Don't worry, Magnus. I told you, I like the love stories with happy endings - I'll make sure you'll get yours, you and Alec." 

He stepped backwards into a patch of shadow between a cupboard and a wall, and vanished. Magnus swirled around in a panic - where had he gone off to? Then Magnus saw a flash of white in the corner of the cell, where all the children were.

"Catarina, behind you!" he shouted.

She whipped around, staff in hand, and leapt over to put herself between the children and Malcolm, who was strolling out of a corner where the light from the high barred windows hadn't been able to reach, as casually as if it was a door.

"You do realise you won't be able to hit me with that," Malcolm said dryly, eyeing her staff.

"If things can't touch you when you're insubstantial, it means you won't be able to touch the children either," Catarina replied cooly. She swung her staff at him, but he parried her blow easily. 

"You're making this a lot harder than I expected," Malcolm frowned.

Luke already had the keys to cell in his hands and was opening the door of the cell to let the children out - the children were swarming towards the exit of the cell, herded by their mothers. Simon, who had been on the other side of the cell, was making his way through them as quickly as he could to help Catarina.

Catarina swung her staff at him again and he dodged the blow, trying to step around her, but she was too quick for him, and her staff was in his way again. The lock on the door of the cell opened with a clang. 

"I'm really sorry about this, Catarina," Malcolm said, sounding truly apologetic, and ran her through with the Mortal Sword.

"Catarina!" Magnus cried out in horror as she fell.

The children screamed. The nearest werewolf mother snarled at Malcolm and clawed at him, but he cut her down too and grabbed the child beside her, a little girl who was trying to cling on to the limp body of her mother. With a sharp tug, Malcolm twisted her wrist. Magnus thought he heard a cracking sound, and the child screamed in pain.

Magnus and Rebecca were fighting to get into the cell, pushing against the tide of hysterical children and mothers to get to Catarina and Malcolm, but it was Simon who got there first. 

"Let the child go!" Simon shouted bravely, swinging his sword at Malcolm.

Malcolm laughed and parried the blow easily. "You can't beat _me_ , Simon."

"I'd rather die trying," Simon bit out.

"Oh, no," Malcolm looked alarmed. "Your sister would never forgive me if I hurt you." 

From the other side of the barred wall of the cell, Rebecca aimed one of the game consoles at Malcolm's head with her powers out of frustration. He ducked and smiled beatifically at her. "I wasn't going to hurt Simon, I promise. But I've really got to go." 

He yanked hard at the arm of the werewolf child, and slipped into the darkness of the shadowy corner. Simon threw himself after them, but all he managed to do was slam hard into the very solid wall. Cursing furiously, Magnus dug his phone out of his pocket and immediately called Isabelle Lightwood.

 

 

The mood outside the Institute infirmary was tense. Ragnor was staring blankly at the door, his eyes red-rimmed, Raphael seated beside him twirling his stele between his fingers in a blur of motion. Isabelle had been inside with Catarina for what seemed like hours now, and another warlock, a blonde girl with her hair drawn into a severe ponytail and a brisk business-like manner, was tending to the injured werewolf mother.

Magnus paced along the corridor and tried to ignore the nervous knot of emotions in the pit of his stomach that whispered that this was all his fault. If - _when_ Catarina woke up, she would give him a thorough dressing down if she even suspected him of blaming himself for Malcolm's actions. 

"I can't sit here anymore," Ragnor suddenly declared, getting up from his seat. "I'm going to find Malcolm Fade and kill him in the slowest and most painful way imaginable." 

"You don't have a single cruel bone in your body, you wouldn't know where to start," Raphael scoffed. "I, on the other hand, have some very interesting ideas to get started with. Let's go."

"You don't even know where he is,"  Magnus said tiredly. "Did you really think I'd still be standing here if I even had the slightest idea where to look?" 

"Why isn't parabatai tracking working on any of Malcolm's things?" Ragnor fumed. "How many untrackable places are there anyway?"  

"He could have stolen a boat, we could check the mundane police records. Or, if he is part-fey we could ask that pair of faerie siblings to find him," Raphael suggested. 

"I don't think he is part-fey," Magnus said slowly, suspicion blooming in his mind. Malcolm's powers had reminded him of Madzie's powers when she had first arrived - the ability to turn insubstantial, though of course Malcolm's were much more advanced. "I think it's time we paid Cadwur Fade a visit," Magnus said grimly.

 

 

“No peeking, Alexander,” Magnus scolded.

Alec laughed. “I’m not peeking.”

Magnus had his hands held over Alec's eyes. They were hands he was intimately familiar with - slim, fluid, the fingers always adorned with rings and the nails always brightly painted. They were shuffling forward together clumsily, and Alec could feel Magnus laughing, his chest pressed close to Alec's back and his arms resting lightly on Alec's shoulders. He had grabbed Alec the moment Alec had come home from his shift at the hospital, and even though Alec was exhausted and really just wanted to shower and sleep, he had decided to indulge Magnus in whatever plan he'd come up with this time.

“I have a surprise for you,” Magnus said, and Alec could hear the grin in his voice. 

“I hate surprises,” Alec grumbled half-heartedly. “You know that.”

He could just see the edge of the living room rug under Magnus' hands - Magnus had picked this one, he remembered. It was fuzzy and thick and always made Alec think he was walking on the back of some shaggy beast. Magnus had transformed Alec's apartment when he had moved in - previously it had been functional and practical, and now there were silly knickknacks all over the place, and thick, colourful blankets on the sofas for when they cuddled up to watch TV together. It had become a hodgepodge of Alec and Magnus: cauldrons and seraph blades, fashion magazines and medical journals. Alec's bathroom now held more pots of cosmetics and beauty products than he knew the name of, but he wouldn't have changed it for the world.  

"What's in the kitchen?" he asked. 

"I said no peeking!" 

"Magnus, I've lived in this apartment since the building was built in the 1960s, I can figure out that we're heading to the kitchen even with you covering my eyes."

"Alexander, I can feel you rolling your eyes at me under my fingers," Magnus giggled, and Alec chuckled softly in response. 

The rug gave way to bare concrete, then the cool tiles of the kitchen. 

"Alright, you can open your eyes now." 

"Surprise!" Everyone in the kitchen yelled when Alec opened his eyes. 

The kitchen was crowded with familiar faces, a mix of downworlders and Magnus' friends. There was a lopsided cake on the kitchen island counter, bearing all the hallmarks of Izzy's terrible cooking, and a small mountain of presents behind it.  

"Happy birthday, big brother," Izzy said, kissing him on the cheek.  

"It's your birthday too, where's your cake and presents?"

"We've already given her her presents. Tonight is all about you, Alec, courtesy of your very thoughtful boyfriend. Oh,  _that_ cake is hers, of course. You didn't seriously think any of us were going to eat _that_ ," Jace laughed, gesturing at the lumpy confectionery on the counter. "The rest of us are going out with you after this for actual food." 

"Don't make me turn you into a duck, Jace Herondale," Izzy said, red sparks flying threateningly from her fingers, and Jace backed away laughing. 

"My present isn't with the lot," Magnus whispered in his ear. "I'll give it to you later, when we are alone." Alec shivered at the promise in Magnus' voice. 

"Oh come on, don't do that in front of all of us," Max complained, and everyone laughed. 

_Max_. Alec felt like he had been doused with cold water. 

"But... You're not supposed be here. You can't be," Alec said, confused. Why, though?  

"You're right, I'm not Max." Max's cheerful grin turned malicious, and suddenly he wasn't Max but Asmodeus Bane. 

"Surprise." 

Asmodeus drew a sword out of nowhere and plunged it into Magnus' back. Magnus' eyes widened and blood gurgled from his mouth as he pitched forward into Alec's arms. The next one to fall was Izzy, then Jace... 

Somewhere in a ruined castle surrounded by a river of fire, weighed down by iron chains and never-ending nightmares, Alec screamed.

 


	16. Chapter 16

 

The Cornwall Institute was a sombre dark-grey building. Like most Institutes, it had been a church once - Institutes were almost always built on hallowed ground. It faced out across the harbour to the sea. The sky was still dark - there was a pale edge of lightness at the horizon, silhouetting the sailing boats bobbing at their moorings along the quay. Seagulls wheeled and screamed overhead as the first of the fishing boats came in with their morning catch. Everywhere there was a great smell of the sea.

Cadwur Fade was already up despite the early hour, to receive them at the Institute's Portal room. He was a stout, elderly man, with a short grey beard, and had to stand with the help of a walking stick - his right foot was bandaged, and he was wearing a carpet slipper over it. He had kindly blue eyes in a weather-beaten face. Nothing about him seemed sinister - although the same could probably have been said about Malcolm when he had first turned up at the New York Institute.

Cadwur caught Magnus looking at his bandaged foot and smiled. "Gout," he explained. "Sign of a misspent youth, they say. Kicks up every now and then. Nothing to worry about."

Ragnor was in no mood for small talk. "Mr Fade, we need to talk to you about Malcolm."

Cadwur looked troubled. "Has something happened to him?" 

"He's suspected of murdering four downworlder children and six Silent Brothers, and stealing the Mortal Sword from the City of Bones." 

Cadwur turned pale and looked like he might faint. "No, not my Malcolm," he whispered. "My mad, sweet boy. I know he can be strange and odd, but you must believe me - there isn't a cruel bone in his body."

"Mr Fade, he was seen with the Mortal Sword in his possession. He as much as admitted to murdering the children," Magnus said, trying to deliver the news to the old man gently.

"There is a shadowhunter and a werewolf lying in the New York Institute infirmary right now, fighting for their lives because of Malcolm," Ragnor said through gritted teeth. "So spare me the talk about his innocence." 

"Let us talk in my office," Cadwur finally suggested, and led them down the freezing hallway to a broad room filled with bookshelves, armchairs and paintings of sailing ships. Cadwur hobbled to the fireplace to get the fire going and indicated that the three shadowhunters should take a seat, but they opted to remain standing.

"Somebody must have put him up to this, Malcolm wouldn't do these things of his own accord," Cadwur said, settling down into an armchair presumably because he couldn't stand for long periods. "Who has he been associating with? What about Asmodeus Bane's boy? He is in the New York Institute, is he not?" 

"That would be me," Magnus said sardonically. "I'm Magnus Bane, pleased to meet you, I'm sure. It appears my reputation precedes me."

Cadwur looked shocked. "You? You are Asmodeus' boy?" He looked over Magnus carefully, taking in his skin-tight clothes, make-up and painted nails with an incredulous expression. "Yes, now that you mention it... you do have-"

"His eyes. Yes, I've heard that one."

"What I want to know, is why you jumped to the conclusion that Magnus was the one influencing Malcolm," Raphael said coldly. "I've always thought Malcolm seemed suspiciously interested in Magnus from the moment he arrived at the New York Institute."

Cadwur sighed. "I'm sure you've heard that Malcolm is not my own son, that he was left at the steps of this Institute when he was a boy. To be very honest, I knew when he was a boy that Malcolm was not a normal shadowhunter boy. He would go into fits of rage that were hard to control, and seemed to be able to disappear and appear again at impossible places." 

"He said you taught him to think of happy things when he got angry," Magnus remembered.

"You became close, then?" Cadwur asked shrewdly. 

"You are not pinning your son's misdeeds on Magnus," Ragnor snarled. "I'm sure the Clave will be very interested to find out you've been hiding Malcolm's special abilities from them."

"Hey, it's alright," Magnus said, putting a soothing hand on Ragnor's shoulder. He smiled at Cadwur in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "We're not here for that. Malcolm has become something like a friend in the months he's been with us. We just want to figure out where he might have hidden, so that we can bring him home," Magnus lied smoothly.

This seemed to ease Cadwur's anxiety a little. "Once Malcolm was old enough to understand, I told him that he couldn't use his powers in front of the other shadowhunters - you know the Clave frowns upon that which is different," Cadwur said, wringing his arms. "But even then, Malcolm couldn't help being different. You can imagine the whispers... I know he may seem like he's daydreaming most of the time, but I could tell he was affected.

"When Malcolm turned 18, he snuck off to the Seelie Court without my permission. I don't know what the Queen told him, but he came back asking questions about Asmodeus Bane and the Bane family. So when Sigurd Fell started asking around for resources on water spirits, Malcolm jumped at the chance to go to the New York Institute."

"To meet me?" Magnus asked.

Cadwur nodded. "When the news about the mundane children Asmodeus had turned spread, I realised that Malcolm must have been one of Asmodeus' experiments, and I assume the Queen must have known and told him. I don't know why he was abandoned at the steps of the Institute - perhaps he was so altered physically that Asmodeus feared it would be too obvious that something had been done to him."

"But why Cornwall?" Raphael frowned.

"We Cornish are superstitious folk, even as shadowhunters. We are big believers in ghosts and ghouls, and we all have a healthy respect for the Fair Folk. There are enough mundanes that still believe in changelings and faerie magic. Malcolm could walk down the mundane streets unglamoured and people would leave him be. Even the shadowhunters here wouldn't dare touch him, not if he had connections with the fey."

"So you think he has faerie blood?" Ragnor asked. "If he has sought out the Queen before, I suppose it is possible that he is hiding out there now."

"It is possible," Cadwur allowed. "He has always gotten along well with the nixies."

"Thank you. We'd better get back and form a team to get to the Court," Magnus said with a polite smile, and herded Ragnor and Raphael out of the study, intent on leaving as quickly as possible. He had to get them somewhere private to talk to them.

Once they were back at the New York Institute, however, they had other more pressing matters to attend to - Mrs Fell was waiting for them in the Portal room with a teary smile on her face.

"Catarina is awake," she told them.

 

  

The Institute infirmary was a mishmash of old and new - complicated machinery beeped quietly in a large airy room with a beautiful arched wooden ceiling, the warm wood panelling forming a stark contrast with the clean white bed linen and delicate lace privacy curtains that separated the beds. It was like a Victorian-era hospital outfitted with modern medical tech.

Isabelle was resting on the empty bed next to Catarina's, looking exhausted. Catarina looked pale but alert, and was chatting quietly with Rebecca when they came in. Simon was there too, looking rather sombre.

"Cat... how are you feeling?" Ragnor approached the bed awkwardly.

"As well as I can be, given the circumstances," Catarina replied with a brave smile. 

"I tried my best," Isabelle said quietly. 

"What's wrong?" Ragnor asked, the anxiety ratcheting up in his voice. 

"Her spinal cord suffered some damage," Isabelle explained. "She might be able to regain some movement in her legs, but... it's possible that she might never walk again."

"We can get Catarina one of those really high-tech wheelchairs," Simon said bracingly. "She's going to be a great Professor X - except, you know, not bald." 

"Cat, you know that's not going to be a problem. I- We're going to be here for you, no matter what," Ragnor told her. 

Catarina tried to joke, "I seem to be spending most of my time doing paperwork anyway. I'm sure I'll manage." She gave Ragnor a small smile.

"Where's the werewolf?" Magnus asked restlessly. "Did she make it out alright?"

Isabelle nodded. "Lydia didn't think she'd want to wake up among shadowhunters, so she brought her back to the pack headquarters," Isabelle explained. "We are going to have to assume the worst has happened to her child, yes?" Her question was met with a gloomy silence.

"Where did you guys go off to anyway? We thought you'd be here for Catarina," Rebecca said a little disapprovingly.

Catarina snorted at that. "I wouldn't expect them to sit around when Malcolm's still out there. So what were you boys up to?" 

Luckily, the infirmary was empty except for them. Magnus burst into action, quickly closing the door of the infirmary and drawing locking and soundless runes on the door.

"Should have done that every time we were in that meeting room - would have saved us a load of trouble," Catarina observed with a sigh.

"We paid Cadwur Fade a visit. And I'm assuming Magnus has had some sort of brainwave, because he practically pushed us through the Portal to get back here," Ragnor said.

"You didn't agree with Cadwur's assessment at all, did you?" Raphael asked.

"Malcolm isn't just one of Asmodeus' experiments - he is the first experiment, patient zero," Magnus said, pacing around the room in agitation. "When we were in the werewolf headquarters, he called me _brother_." 

"Wait - you don't think... how?" Simon said in shock.

"He's _insane_. You can't believe the stuff he said. I mean, you can barely believe the stuff he says on a regular basis," Raphael argued.

"He wasn't lying, or at least he really believed everything that he said. He was holding the Mortal Sword, remember?" Magnus pointed out. "Asmodeus said his first child was stillborn. What if he wasn't? What if he was just born so physically different that Asmodeus had to get rid of him?"

"You think the Queen knew, and told him, and that's why he became so obsessed with the Bane family," Ragnor said, following his train of thought.

"When we first did the blood tests for the children, I told Alec that I had a theory that if a shadowhunter baby had been injected with pure demon blood, rather than being part-demon from conception, that it would be like poison in the system - that it'd drive the child mad," Isabelle said musingly.

Rebecca frowned. "Come to think of it, doesn't Malcolm look just a bit like Asmodeus? He has the height and the same facial structure..."

" _Dios mio_ , that's messed up," Raphael said. "But why the affinity with the fey?" 

"Part-demon and part-angel?" Magnus pointed out. "The Fair Folk are the only ones with that combination." 

"And then Asmodeus left the child in a place where he could grow up protected despite his strangeness, where the fey were feared," Ragnor noted.

"Maybe he intended him to be some sort of back-up weapon, a wildcard," Magnus said, half to himself. "He'd put all that effort into the experiment already, after all." 

"World's best dad," Raphael muttered sarcastically. "No wonder you turned out so deranged as well."

"Is this really the time to be trading insults, Raphael?" Magnus said in exasperation. "If you insist, I could probably come up with some good ones."

"Don't fight in front of my sick bed, boys." Catarina implored in her sweetest voice, "or I will knock your heads together so hard, your skulls will crack like eggs."

"But if the faeries aren't giving him sanctuary, where could he be hiding?" Simon asked.

"I didn't say he wasn't hiding in the Court. In fact, he's _definitely_ there. He's a wildcard, remember? The Queen likes to be on the winning side, likes to have the upper hand," Magnus muttered, chewing his lip distractedly. 

"Alright, Raphael and I will go-" Ragnor started saying.

"You're not going alone!" Catarina protested.

"It's not like we have a choice, do we? Magnus, Simon and Rebecca are all banned from the Court. In fact, I'm pretty sure the faerie siblings said all shadowhunters were forbidden, but we've got to give it a try!" Ragnor countered.

"Hold up - I have a plan," Magnus said.

Simon groaned and slumped against an empty bed. "I hate it when you have a plan."


	17. Chapter 17

 

The Portal opened up right in the middle of the leafy bower where the Seelie Queen made her throne. Magnus was first through, and went straight for the Queen - he had his seraph blade to her throat before her faerie knights or court attendants could react. The rest of the team - Ragnor, Raphael, Simon, Rebecca, and finally Isabelle - streamed through the Portal with their weapons drawn.

But even with the glowing blade at her throat, the Queen merely laughed. "Oh, Magnus. You would not dare. If you cut my throat, the Fair Folk will be ranged against the Nephilim for all time. And you can be sure that we will have our revenge - we are a patient folk, for we have all the time in the world.”

Magnus grinned humourlessly and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear: "Or perhaps they'll throw a feast in our honour and simply pick a new Queen, when they find out that their Queen presented one of the faerie children as a sacrifice to a madman just so she could have her little petty vengeance. I was the closest to Malcolm, even if I didn't know he was my brother - did you honestly think he wouldn't have found a way to tell me what he was up to?"

The Queen's expression hardened, the laughter fading from her face.

"He wouldn't. He came to _me_."

"How sure are you of that? He is my brother - he trusts me, and more importantly, he _loves_ me. Let's just say I found a very interesting letter in my room..."

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"Tell your knights to stand back and drop their weapons," Magnus told her. "You can make us out to be the villains all you want after this, but if you don't cooperate, I'll show them all what you did."

The Queen nodded at her guards and waved an imperious hand - they took a few steps back and put their swords and bows down, their eyes still on the invading shadowhunters.

"If you're looking for Malcolm, you're too late - the Ritual of Infernal Conversion is complete, and he has left the Court," the Queen said coldly.

"We'll get to that in a bit. But first, let's play a little game, I know you like your games. I'll make this easy for you - 'yes' and 'no' answers only, understood?" Magnus said brightly, and held the blade tighter against her. "You taught Malcolm how to use his powers."

The Queen smirked. "Yes. I see you're smarter than you look."

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, milady," Magnus snorted.

"How did you figure that out?" Simon couldn't resist asking.

"He must have had somewhere to practice to get so good at them, and he wasn't allowed to use his powers in the Institute. The Queen has been cultivating his trust in her for a very long time," Magnus replied, then turned his attention back to the Seelie Queen. "You know how to set Alec Lightwood free from his father, and you told Malcolm."

“Perhaps I did,” said the Queen, smiling even wider now.

"I said 'yes' or 'no' answers, milady," Magnus growled.

“I’ve noticed the Fair Folk often say ‘perhaps’ when there is a truth they want to hide,” Ragnor said. “It keeps them from having to give a straight answer.”

“I think I'm just not asking the right question," Magnus said. "Alright - you know how to set Alec Lightwood free from his father."

"No."

"But Malcolm didn't ask the right questions, and you made him think that you'd told him the right answer."

"Yes."

"What did you tell him?" Magnus growled. The Queen looked over her shoulder at him, wide-eyed with false meekness, and Magnus rolled his eyes and made a gesture that she should continue.

"He asked me how to get into the place where Alec Lightwood is held, and I told him that a black Hydra guards the castle gates."

"And what happens when you kill the Hydra?" Magnus asked.

"The Hydra represents the lifeforce of all the tortured souls held within the castle. Kill the Hydra, and all of them die," the Queen replied with a malicious smile.

"You fucking bitch," Isabelle hissed, magic sparking at her fingertips. "What did my brother ever do to you?"

"He took something I wanted," the Queen shrugged.

"People are more than just toys for your amusement," Isabelle said fiercely.

"Hundred of years old, and still so naive," the Queen sneered. "Love is fleeting; even more so when you are immortal. Mortals die too easily for them to ever be anything but playthings for you and I... and your brother."

"He literally went to Hell for me - I think we've established that I'm more than just a toy boy for Alexander," Magnus rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we're wasting time making small talk - we need to catch up to Malcolm. So I'm just going to hand you over to the Blackthorns, and I'm sure the Fair Folk can be _very_ inventive in their punishments for traitors."

"You-!" the Queen hissed as Magnus shoved her into the waiting arms of the Blackthorn siblings. "There is no letter, is there?"

"I'm not a faerie; I'm not required to tell the truth," Magnus shrugged. "Besides, I'd already told the Blackthorns about what you did before we entered the Court. How else did you think we managed to Portal directly here?"

The Seelie Queen drew herself up and addressed her Court: "You heard him - he is a shadowhunter, and the children of the Nephilim all lie to further their own ends. Why would you believe him and turn on your queen? He has no proof."

"I didn't before, but I do _now_ \- you confirmed the truth in my accusations when you feared it enough to bow to my blackmail," Magnus grinned. "Faerie children are too precious and too well-guarded. I knew someone must have helped Malcolm. You must think your Court are deaf and blind if you think they didn't notice Malcolm coming around the Court for a few years - he's not exactly subtle or inconspicuous, is he?"

"How tragic for your dear brother," the Queen said slyly. "All he wanted to do was make you happy, and look at you, hunting him down like he is no more than a beast. If you would treat your own blood in this manner, you would turn on your allies in a heartbeat."

Magnus raised an eyebrow at her. "Cadwur Fade said that Malcolm wouldn't have done this on his own, and I'm inclined to agree. He probably stole the Mortal Sword on impulse, then came here in a panic looking for advice and guidance, and _you_ were the one who encouraged him to complete the Ritual of Infernal Conversion. You let him murder four innocent children just to get back at me and Alexander. The Fair Folk are an old people, a good people. You aren’t fit to lead them."

The faerie knights advanced on the Queen, malice and hostility clear on their faces. The Queen held herself haughtily and spat at Magnus: "You have a dark heart in you, Asmodeus' son," the Queen said. "Your brother may have demon blood in his veins, but that has only driven him insane. It is not what makes him callous, or what makes you ruthless. Blood will always tell. I know you better than you think - your friends will pay the price for Alec Lightwood's freedom, and you will let them."

"You're not an Oracle," Ragnor scoffed. "You can pretend to be all-knowing, but even you can't tell the future."

Magnus simply ignored the Queen and turned to Miach. "We need safe passage to Hell."

"That is so ironic," Simon muttered.

Miach Blackthorn nodded. "If you are certain that that is the path you seek, I will bring you to it. Come."

 

 

The faerie knight led them down a dark corridor that seemed to go on forever, until they reached a place that branched off into three tunnels in front of them. The one on the right was narrow and dark, lined with thorny bushes and sinister-looking vegetation, if plants could be said to look sinister. The one on the left seemed to slope upwards, and was lined with ferns and other flowering greenery. The one in the middle was the widest, a smooth grassy path that was lined with large white flowers, which Magnus thought might be some sort of lily.

"Oh, this is like that ancient ballad told by Thomas the Rhymer, isn't it?" Ragnor said with interest. "The three roads - one leads to Heaven, one leads deeper into Faerieland, and one leads to Hell."

"I'm guessing that narrow, scary one goes to heaven," Simon said. "Wait - _Heaven_ , capital 'h'? Like, actual Heaven with the angels and everything?"

"People find heaven in different things," Miach shrugged.

"Great. Glad you cleared that up. I would hate for you to be all cryptic and leave it hanging," Simon mumbled.

"I would have thought the one that leads to Faerieland would be full of greenery, but the remaining two roads both look pretty green," Rebecca observed.

Miach smiled at them, all mischievousness again - Magnus supposed he couldn't really help it, it was in his nature. “Can you guess the right road?”

"We're taking the middle one," Ragnor said decisively. "The rhyme says: 'And see ye not yon braid, braid road, that lies across the lily leven? That is the Path of Wickedness, though some call it the Road to Heaven.'"

"So is it Hell or Heaven?" Raphael grumbled. "Faeries and their damned riddles."

Miach laughed, a bright sound that was like the tinkling of bells. "Your friend is right, though. It is always a pleasure to meet a scholar in the old ballads." He made a little bow at Ragnor.

"So the road to Hell is paved with lilies? I always heard it was paved with good intentions,” said Simon.

"Those aren't just any type of lily - they are asphodels," Isabelle said. "In the Greek myths, they're supposed to grow in a meadow where the souls of the dead that weren't particularly good or bad are trapped for eternity."

"Right. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask you - if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood, do I really get some sort of sleeping potion?" 

" _Seriously_ not the time for this, Silas," Magnus sighed.

Simon squinted at Magnus. "Was that a pun? You know, because Harry Potter's godfather's name is-"

"I will eviscerate you if you don't shut the hell up right now," Magnus said through gritted teeth. 

"This is where I bid you fare well," Miach told them. 

"Last chance to turn back," Ragnor said, looking meaningfully at Rebecca.

"I'm afraid I go wherever my dumb kid brother is going," Rebecca replied with a smile that was part grimace.

 

 

They said their goodbyes to the faerie knight and made their way down the grassy tunnel. The path was easy to follow, sloping downwards very gently, and the earthen walls on either side were smooth and warm. The lilies gave off a mild, sweet fragrance, and there was just enough light to see by, although Magnus couldn't pinpoint any source of illumination. It was wide enough that the six of them could have walked abreast comfortably, and they made good time.

Gradually, the walls around them darkened until they were as black as coal, and the smooth grassy path gave way to black sand. It got dark enough that they had to take out their seraph blades to light the way, and walking became slightly harder with the smooth black sand sliding under the soles of their boots. It seemed like they had been walking for an hour or two when the tunnel widened even further.

Simon, who had been walking ahead with Magnus and Raphael, suddenly paused. “Guys, do you hear something? At the end of the tunnel.”

“An oncoming train?” Magnus asked sardonically.

"Not exactly," Simon frowned. "More like... water? A lot of water."

The tunnel finally opened up to a beach made up of black sand and black pebbles. A river churned beyond it - black, not the way the ocean was black at night because there was no daylight, but black like an oil slick. Magnus had a feeling that if he tried to scoop a glass of the stuff, the river water would be a solid pitch black.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Simon suddenly yelped, jumping about a foot in the air. 

"What is it?" Raphael was by his side in an instant. 

"There was a face! I saw a person in that pebble!"

"Your reflection?" Magnus asked snidely, but looked down at the pebbles at Simon's feet - sure enough he saw a glimpse of a face smiling up at them. 

"There, I saw another one!" Rebecca gasped. 

"This one isn't a face though," Isabelle said, frowning down at the pebbles under her high-heeled boots. "It looks like a piece of paper? Huh. Looks like someone didn't do so well in an examination of some sort."

There were all sorts of things - mainly the faces of people, some smiling and some crying, but also odd things like failed exams and broken objects. All the pebbles in the beach contained something, and presumably over the centuries the oldest pebbles had been worn down into the black sand that covered the beach and spilled into the tunnel. 

"I know what these are," Magnus finally said. "Love, and broken dreams. Things that people couldn't leave behind, in life."

"What the hell is this place?" Raphael asked.

"Hell?" Ragnor answered innocently.

"Ha. Ha." 

"By the angel," Magnus sighed. "I think I finally understand how Catarina feels every time we go on a mission together."

"We're on the banks of the River Styx," Isabelle said. "This is where the land of the living ends, and the land of the dead begins." 

 


	18. Chapter 18

 

"So we pay the ferryman a gold coin each to get across the river, and that's it?" Ragnor asked. 

"Does he take debit cards? I think I'm all out of gold burial coins," Simon said nervously. 

"According to the demon I summoned, Alec is in a place called Topheth - it's where the various princes and lords of Hell sacrifice their children, and it's surrounded by the River Phlegethon. The Styx runs parallel to the Phlegethon, but it meets at a point - all we have to do is follow it," Isabelle said. 

"Wait - so we have to go _down_ the Styx? In what?" Rebecca asked. 

"Magnus, please tell me you weren't planning on stealing the ferryman's boat," Ragnor frowned.  

"I wasn't - I was planning to swim in the Styx."

"That's not funny."

"I wasn't joking," Magnus said. "Chances are, Malcolm has already taken the ferry anyway. We're all pretty good swimmers, right?"

"I can't swim," Rebecca frowned.

"We are _not_ swimming in the River Styx!" Ragnor hissed.

"If we go in there, will it make us all invincible? Like Achilles?" Simon asked. 

"It's not that simple - the stories say the waters of the Styx will annihilate you if you don't fulfil certain conditions, and I'm pretty sure one of them is that you need your parents' blessings," Ragnor said.

"Well, my parents are both dead, so there's nobody to ask - so I'll go, and the rest of you can head back," Magnus replied easily.

"Damn it, Magnus. Was this your plan all along?" Ragnor asked, aghast.

"Look - Alexander is my responsibility. I'm the reason he's in this mess in the first place, and I'm the only one Malcolm definitely won't hurt," Magnus said reasonably. "So this is the only way." 

"Absolutely not! Not a chance,” Ragnor said grimly. 

"My parents are dead too," Raphael pointed out. "So I can also go into the Styx." 

"But you'd leave Simon to make his way back through Faerieland by himself?" Magnus asked challengingly. 

"We are not going through this nonsense again," Isabelle said fiercely, getting right in Magnus' face. "You and my brother are the two biggest idiots I've ever had the misfortune of knowing. Haven't you learnt anything from my brother's mistakes? All this self-sacrificing bullshit, and insisting on bearing the weight of the world upon your own shoulders! We are going to do this together, or not at all."

"Magnus, this is bigger than you and Alec now. If Malcolm goes through with whatever insane plan he's come up with and slays the Hydra, he's going to throw all of Hell into disarray, and the Angel alone knows what the consequences of his actions will be," Ragnor said. "He's a loose cannon. We have to stop him." 

Magnus looked at his friends faces, and shook his head. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” 

“Yeah, well, tough luck, _hermano_ ,” said Raphael. "This is our choice to make. And if you respected us at all as your brothers, your friends - you'd let us make it."

"Now that we've got that bout of stupidity out of the way, I'm going to talk to the ferryman," Isabelle declared, and stalked down the river bank in her five-inch heels.

 

 

The Ferryman of the Dead was an old man clad in tattered, disgusting rags that looked like they had been in desperate need of a good wash for centuries. He had haggard cheeks and a long unkempt beard that reached his waist. He had a long oar over his shoulder, but there was no boat in sight, although there was a rotted wooden mooring and a length of rope drifting in the river. There were some wispy white things surrounding him - Magnus wasn't one of those shadowhunters who could see spirits, but he hoped they wouldn't start attacking them out of frustration just because Malcolm had stolen their ride into the afterlife. They watched from a distance as Isabelle worked her charm on him, but the ferryman just stared ahead sullenly. 

"Is he not talking because Malcolm did something to him, or does he just not talk to the living?" Simon wondered. 

"Looks like it's back to Plan A - swimming in the Styx," Magnus said with a wry grin. "If you are all insisting on coming along, I hope there's cell service down here to call home."

" _No_ ," Ragnor said firmly. "Even if we could survive going into the water, most people who went into the Styx just sort of went in for a quick dip, not to swim down the length of the whole bloody thing. Styx was one of Tethys' daughters, so you know what that means."

Magnus looked stunned. "There's a serpent in there? Damn, there goes that plan. And here I was, hoping we'd seen the last of those."

"See, this is why I hate your plans - half of it is reckless, and the other half of it is just pure luck," Simon complained. 

"I'd like to see you come up with something better, Shia." 

Isabelle, who had been heading back to them, was scowling. "A serpent, did you say? Do you think we could convince it to give us a ride?" 

"Oh my God, Izzy, your plans are even worse," Simon said in horror. "Quick, Magnus, what's your Plan B?" 

"I like the way you think, Isabelle," Magnus said cheerfully. "The serpents of the East and Hudson Rivers were partial to magical objects; perhaps if we promised to give it the Mortal Sword in return for a ride down the Styx?" 

"Promised what?" Ragnor frowned.  

"The effects of the Ritual are irreversible," Magnus pointed out. "Do we really want to have a powerful demon sword out there? It'd be safer at the bottom of the Styx. It's not like the serpent is going to use it, they just want to hoard it."

"Magnus has a point there," Raphael admitted grudgingly. 

"I always have a point," Magnus smirked. He went right up to the edge of the river and called out: "We wish to speak to the Goddess of the River Styx!" The black water swirled in agitation, but nothing happened.  

"Here, let me," Isabelle suggested. "This sort of thing usually requires payment." She sliced her palm open with a small dagger, and let some of the blood drip into the river. "Come forth, child of Tethys and child of Oceanus! Come forth, and speak to us!"

A whirlpool appeared in the river, the water swirling faster and faster, sinking deeper and wider - then a monstrous creature burst out to the surface. Where its brothers had been blue and green and somewhat eel-like in appearance, the serpent of the River Styx was a thing from nightmares - it was pitch black, the colour of the river itself, with glowing red eyes like twin points of hellfire. Its skin was rough and sharp as if it had rocks in place of scales, and when it opened its mouth to hiss at them, its breath was putrid and prickled Magnus' skin, like he had been sprayed with a fine mist of venom. Like her brothers, she spoke to them with a voice that echoed directly in their heads. 

_What do you want with me, demonspawn?_

"We are on a quest, to save my brother," Isabelle said, and the serpent's face twisted into a sneer. 

_You expect me to help you rescue one of the demon-blooded?_

Ragnor stepped forward, pulling Magnus with him. "O Glorious One, he isn't just her brother, he is also my brother's beloved."

The serpent's eyes narrowed, and peered at Magnus and Ragnor with her fiery eyes.

_The Angel's chosen_ , she said. _I have not seen one of you for a millennia_. 

"As you loved Phlegethon, so does my brother love Alec Lightwood," Ragnor said. "Alec gave up his life to save my brother, and his own father pulled him into Hell using trickery and broken promises."

_Love sundered by tragedy,_ the serpent murmured. Ragnor nudged Magnus, gesturing that he should take over the conversation. 

Magnus tried to maintain eye contact with the serpent. It was awkward to be confessing this to a stranger - to a monster, even. "I don't think I can live without him," he admitted quietly. 

There was a tense silence, in which the river seemed to whisper quietly around them, and wandering spirits that had been circling the ferryman and likely eavesdropping on the conversation filled the still air with a soft susurrus of sighs. The serpent kept her eyes on Magnus, her sinuous body coiling gently in the water.

_What are you offering in return?_ she finally asked.

"The Mortal Sword," Magnus said, feeling more confident now that they were back on the familiar territory of negotiations and business. "It has been turned into a demonic weapon, but it is still a powerful weapon. Just that we don't have it with us now - we'll get it back, and bring it to you once Alec is freed. All we ask in return is safe passage down the Styx and to the River Phlegethon."

_I can bring you down the Styx, but I cannot guarantee your safety_ , the serpent said. _I can carry all six of you on my back - but if you fall into the waters of the Styx, I'm afraid you shall have to find out what the Fates have determined for you._  

"That's fair enough," Magnus heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you-"

_Don't be too quick to thank me. I will help you, but I demand an additional payment,_ the serpent said slyly. _I demand that red jewel in the warlock's forehead._  

"What?" Magnus said in shock. 

Isabelle took a deep breath and nodded. "The jewel for the trip there, and the Sword for the trip back," she bargained.

_Done_. 

"No! But if Izzy does that, won't she die?" Simon protested. "Or will she lose her magic or something?"

"No, I'll be fine," Isabelle insisted. "I've taken an X-ray of it before, it's not embedded in my skull or anything like that, and it won't affect my magic. Besides, I'm a warlock - I can heal myself. It's just a flesh wound."

"Isabelle, I can't let you do this," Magnus said, remembering what Alec had said about warlocks who bore no warlock mark - she would be shunned by other downworlders, especially when she had such a prominent mark.

"I can, and I will," Isabelle said firmly. "My brother did it for me when we were children. It's nothing." She took out her dagger and handed it to Raphael. Raphael stared down at it, then back up at her, an eyebrow raised. 

Isabelle smiled at him. "Simon and Magnus worry too much about hurting me, and Rebecca and Ragnor don't have the stomach for this sort of thing."

"And me?" 

"You hate me," Isabelle said, still smiling.

"Call it an intense dislike," Raphael replied, meeting her gaze squarely.

"But you'll help me? You know it has to be done."

"Are you sure about this, Isabelle?" he asked, and she nodded. Raphael closed his eyes briefly, then looked skyward as if he was saying a silent prayer. He removed his belt and handed it to her. "You might want to bite onto this. It's probably going to hurt." 

"If I wanted to get into your pants, I'd be sure to say so - I'm a pretty direct sort of girl." She attempted to quirk an eyebrow flirtatiously at him, but the tremble in her lips rather spoiled the effect. She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Warlock, remember? There are spells, for taking away the pain." 

"I'll try to make this as quick as I can," he told her gently. He cupped her face in one hand, then clenched his jaw and made the first cut - she whimpered, and bit down on her lip. With a quick flick of the wrist, Raphael cut the stone from her forehead deftly, and caught it in his palm. Isabelle gasped and almost fell into his arms.

"Izzy!" Magnus rushed forward.

"I'm fine," she insisted, breathing harshly, holding on to Raphael to keep herself upright. She lifted one hand to her forehead - the cut healed and scarred over immediately, and the blood running down her face vanished.  

Raphael handed the bloodied stone to her solemnly, and as she took it she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

Isabelle walked to the edge of the river with her scarred, lovely face held high, and tossed the stone into the air - it sailed in a bright sparkling arc, and the serpent caught it in its gigantic maw. The serpent bowed its great head at her, then turned its massive winding body in the water. Isabelle stepped back as the river water surged over the banks slightly, sizzling when it touched the tips of her boots. The serpent finally settled with its body leaning against the bank - close enough for them to clamber on, if they jumped.

Magnus was first on the serpent's back, holding out a hand to help Rebecca up - then Ragnor and Simon pulled themselves up, and Raphael offered Isabelle a hand to pull her up.

"Is there even any way to get back to the world of the living after this?" Rebecca asked in trepidation, trying to grip the jagged back of the serpent as best she could without cutting her hands into ribbons. 

Magnus smiled sardonically. "Sure - back the way we came in, but don't ever look backwards. Best to hold on tight now." 

The serpent's body rumbled under them in what could have been a laugh, before it pushed off the bank and threw itself into the current.

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

 

Riding on the back of the Styx serpent was a bit like trying to balance on the back of a bucking bronco covered in glass shards while someone threw buckets of acid at your feet. Even with the thick leather pants provided by the Clave for shadowhunters, which could usually withstand substantial damage from ichor and demon venom, Magnus felt like he was going to have problems sitting down for a week, and not in the fun way. He was wearing fingerless gloves, though admittedly more for the aesthetic than because he actually needed them, which provided some protection for his hands, but his fingers were already bloodied from trying to keep a grip on the serpent's rough skin. The River Styx surged around the sides of the serpent as she glided through the water, burning through the soles of their boots and throwing a scalding spray on them. 

They were travelling with the current, so they made good time through the various sights and sounds of Hell. Magnus wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It was rather depressing to see the vast stretches of dead and barren land, all filled with the wispy stuff that had surrounded the ferryman, although Magnus decided it was an improvement over the torture and gore that he had been expecting.

Gradually, the dusty air grew even warmer, and Magnus saw something burning brightly in the distance.

"What's that?" he called backwards to Ragnor, who was sitting behind him and Rebecca.

"That's it - that's the River Phlegethon."

"That isn't water, is it? It looks like lava," Magnus observed. "Put on some fireproof runes, everybody!" He called out. 

By the time they reached the point where the Styx met the Phlegethon, Magnus felt like his skin was being boiled off his face. The waters of the Phlegethon were a deep dark red, and glowed with an inner heat, like embers. Flames flickered and danced across the surface of the river. There was large rock that marked the end of the Styx and the beginning of the Phlegethon, and the air was filled with a constant, sharp hissing sound where the waters from the two rivers converged. The resulting putrid steam turned the entire valley into a boiling, humid fog. Magnus thought he saw the tail of something splash in the Phlegethon some distance away - it looked like it belonged to a serpent made entirely of fire.

The serpent of the Styx came to a stop just before the point where the rivers met, keeping close to the bank. Magnus and the others took the hint and jumped off her back.

"Ouch!" Simon yelped immediately, hopping from one foot to the other. "Why is the ground so hot?"

"And the river is on fire, Sanjay. We're in Hell. Why are you even surprised?" Magnus said, trying to look a bit more dignified about the ground burning through the soles of his Styx-weathered boots. 

The serpent turned her great head to look across the swirling waters, looking out across the Phlegethon. Magnus would almost have called her expression wistful, although he wouldn't consider himself a good reader of serpentine facial expressions. He supposed they should thank her, although she had also asked for Isabelle's warlock mark as payment for the trip, and he didn't really feel like thanking her for that.

The serpent turned back to him, and said, _Good luck, Angel's chosen_ , before diving back down into the Styx in a splash of scalding black water.

"What was all that about?" Magnus wondered.

"Do you know the story, of how the Styx became one of the rivers of Hell?" Ragnor asked. Magnus shook his head, mystified. "She fell in love with Phlegethon, despite his fire, and it burned her alive. Hades took pity on her, and let her river run through the underworld so it could meet Phlegethon's river."

"But all they can do is look at each other from afar," Magnus pointed out. Ragnor shrugged.

Magnus didn't have the time to feel sorry for a river goddess while the ground slowly roasted them where they were standing. He looked around - they seemed to be in some sort of valley or canyon that the River Phlegethon had carved through the mountains.

"Looks like we're on the right track," Rebecca said, pointing out a wooden barge that was slowly being consumed in the fires of the Phlegethon. 

"But where is this castle with the hydra?" Simon asked, peering in all directions. 

"We must be in the Valley of Gehenna," Isabelle said. "Topheth is supposed to be on high ground, so I guess we go up."

Simon looked at the rocky face of the canyon walls that seemed to go vertically straight up into the darkness above them, and gulped. "You've got to be kidding me."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Warlock, remember?" She waved a hand, and what was left of the barge rose out of the Phlegethon. Even half-scorched, it was still wide enough to hold all of them comfortably. "Well, everybody hop on, then. I'll float us all up."

"I'll help," Rebecca said, and exchanged a smile with Isabelle.

 

 

As the wooden barge rose up into the dark sky above them, Magnus had a clearer view of the land. The fiery winding path of the Phlegethon cut through the black rock. In the distance, he saw geysers of fire and yawning chasms that dropped off into goodness knows where. There were caves in the side of the canyon, deep dark gouges that Magnus didn't like the look of at all. Simon was making whimpering noises and had found a position dead centre, as far away from the edges of the barge as possible - apparently he wasn't a big fan of heights. Raphael was pretending to roll his eyes while he placed a comforting hand on Simon's shoulder. 

"Almost there," Ragnor said encouragingly to everyone as they neared the top of the canyon.

When they finally levelled with the plateau, Isabelle eased the barge slowly over land. She was trembling from the exertion, even with Rebecca helping with her telekinetic powers, which made Magnus wonder if she'd been lying about the removal of the warlock mark not affecting her powers. But if that truly had a bearing on a warlock's prowess, then how powerful would Alec have been if his mark hadn't been so brutally severed from his body when he was a child? 

"Where to now?" Raphael asked.

The ground here wasn't as hot as it had been down in the valley, and the air less cloying, which Magnus was thankful for. But without the glow of the river, it was also much darker. Magnus activated his far-sighted and night vision runes and squinted into the distance, across the unending ashy land under a midnight starless sky. He saw small hills of ash, deep pits from which licks of fire occasionally escaped. It was a desert with no sand, only a fine ash that was starting to work its way into Magnus' lungs. There was no wind, or any signs of life in the distance - nothing moved.

"I don't know," Magnus finally said. "I don't see any sign of Malcolm or the castle we're supposed to be looking for. But I think we've gained some time with the ride on the serpent's back and the floating barge. I suggest we all take a bit of a rest; drink some water and refresh our runes, especially the iratzes for all the scratches, burns and cuts from our trip down the Styx."

"We've all brought enough water and food for two days, but I'm starting to think we might have underestimated the amount of water we needed," Ragnor observed unhappily.

"We'll worry about that later. Ration the water," Magnus shrugged. "But I have a bad feeling about those caves back at the canyon, and I'd feel better if we put more distance between that and us. I don't think there's any night or day in this place, and I don't know if demons are more active at a certain time here since there's no sun. But I'd assume there are plenty of demons in Hell, and pretty soon they're going to catch the scent of a bunch of angel-blooded snacks wandering about their territory."

"Do you think tracking Malcolm will work, now that we're in the same place as Malcolm?" Rebecca asked suddenly.

"It's worth a try, but I don't think either of us thought to bring anything of his," Magnus frowned.

"Well. I might have something," Rebecca admitted. She reached into her pocket and brought out a little cat-shaped trinket that Magnus recognised as a decoration from Malcolm's phone.

"Where did you get that?"

"He felt bad that he didn't get me flowers," Rebecca explained sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Magnus asked with raised eyebrows.

"Um. I might have gone on a date with him."

"What?!" Simon yelped.

"Just the once!" Rebecca said defensively. "Look, he's good-looking, objectively speaking. And he was actually really quite sweet."

"Until he turned out to be a murdering psychopath," Raphael said.

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't like any of you saw  _that_  coming either," Rebecca pointed out.

"At the werewolf headquarters, in the cell with the kids," Simon said slowly. "He cut Cat down without a thought, but he said he couldn't hurt me because you'd be mad at him."

"So he actually cares about you," Raphael said thoughtfully. "This could work in our favour."

"Hey, we're not using me as bait, alright?" Rebecca said, anger creeping into her voice. 

"Nobody is using anybody as bait," Ragnor said tiredly.

"Didn't say anything," Raphael shrugged. "Well, give that thing here then, Ragnor and I will do the tracking." He shook his head when Isabelle got up from her seat on the edge of the wooden barge. "We can handle this. You look like you're about to fall over."

Isabelle smiled at him, lines of exhaustion clearly evident on her face. "Is this chivalry? I thought it was dead." 

"With a girl like you around, it can never die," Raphael replied with a slight tilt to his mouth. 

"Are you guys flirting?" Simon asked, but he sounded more amused than upset.

Ragnor gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like "ménage à trois", and Raphael elbowed him in the ribs. 

Magnus snorted. "Feel free to make arrangements for your polyamorous relationship another time, when we're not trying to track down a madman with a dangerous weapon."

Raphael glared at all of them and retrieved the cat-shaped trinket from Rebecca. "Come on, Ragnor. And if I hear any snickering from any of you, this is the last time I do this damned parabatai-tracking spell in front of an audience."

 

 

The spell worked, much to Magnus' relief and surprise. After everyone had rested for a bit, they continued their journey across the wasteland, with Raphael and Ragnor leading the way. 

The terrain was slightly hilly, with occasional patches of shale and rocks amongst the endless dust and ash, and and even some strange tufts of black vegetation that nobody recognised. Even though the uneven ground made walking slightly harder, Magnus was surprised to find himself completely exhausted after only a couple of hours. He supposed it might be the air, which was foul and thick with ash, but his head was pounding and lungs were on fire. He coughed into his hand, a wracking cough that seemed to make his whole body ache, and was shocked when the hand he held over his mouth came away bloody. 

"Are you alright?" Isabelle asked in concern. 

"Fine," Magnus muttered, and tried to wipe his mouth surreptitiously. 

Behind him, Simon had been wheezing for the better part of an hour, and Rebecca had been doubling over, out of breath, every so often. They were the two physically weakest in the team, but for Magnus to be lagging behind as well... 

In front of them, Ragnor suddenly stopped and frowned. "The tracking rune - it's faded already. That can't be right, we've only been walking for a couple of hours, at the most."

Magnus checked his own runes - speed and stamina - and found that they had faded already. 

"The runes must wear out faster here," he said. "We're going to have to be careful about applying them more frequently."

"I think I'm going to have an asthma attack," Simon wheezed. "But I haven't had one since I was a kid. I don't have an inhaler or anything."

"I know we're not as fit as you guys, but this ridiculous. And _Magnus_ is out of breath," Rebecca huffed. 

"Higher concentration of angelic blood," Isabelle said after a moment of thought. "This place is affecting the three of you more strongly."

"Great," Raphael huffed in frustration. "Well, we'd better take a break and reapply the runes. Ragnor and I have to do the tracking again anyway."

They found shelter behind a small heap of rocks, and were all sipping their water when the ground beneath them began to rumble and shake. 

"What the-?" Simon began. 

"Earthquake," Magnus leapt to his feet. "Everybody get away from the rocks!" 

There was a mad scramble as everyone tried to get to their feet. The ground trembled, and seemed to tilt on its axis, and Magnus wasn't sure if it was really happening or just the increasing pressure in his head making him imagine it. The small hill of rocks they had been taking shelter behind shuddered; then all of a sudden, pieces began to roll off. Each rock was the size of a football, and bounced and rolled after them with deadly force as they stumbled and tripped in their haste to get away. It became clear that they would not be able to outrun the oncoming rock slide. Isabelle turned back around. 

"What are you doing?" Raphael hissed. 

"Saving your lives," Isabelle replied, and began blasting the rocks with her magic. When she had gotten rid of the nearest threats, she sent up a wall of red fire that obliterated every rocky missile that flew at them. By the time the ground stopped shaking and the rain of rocks had lost its momentum, she was shaking. 

"Cutting out your mark has sapped your strength," Raphael observed. 

"No... Well, maybe a little. I didn't think it would," Isabelle admitted. "But I think it might also be that I hadn't recovered fully from healing Catarina."

Raphael put an arm around her and helped her to sit down. "I've heard that warlocks can draw strength from shadowhunters. Take some of mine - whatever you need."

"You can take mine too," Simon offered. 

Isabelle laughed. "You boys are sweet, but I'll be fine. You'd better save it for yourselves - we're in a demon realm now, and it's going to be hard on you, especially Simon."

A sound at the edge of his peripheral hearing drew Magnus' attention away from the rom-com drama unfolding before him. He turned his head back the way they had come, and cursed soundly. 

"We've got company."

 


	20. Chapter 20

  

"Do you recognise the type?" Ragnor asked. 

"Moloch demons," Magnus wrinkled his nose.

Moloch demons moved fast, too fast for them to outrun in their state. He hated them - they looked like they were made of crude oil suspended in a humanoid form, the only substantial part of them being their clawed hands. When you sliced into them, they would burst like a water balloon filled with thick sticky oil that was almost impossible to wash off. From the looks of it, there were hundreds coming at them from the direction of the canyon. He wondered if they had been awakened by the earthquake, or if the earthquake had been caused by them swarming out of their lairs. 

"Isabelle is too drained to defend herself at the moment. We're going to have to strategise," Raphael said.

"I can still make a shield for myself," Isabelle insisted.

"Sunlight rune first, I think, to thin the ranks," Magnus said, stele already out. "Just Simon and Rebecca though, that stuff is draining, and anyway it's stronger when the three of us do it, since it draws on our angelic blood. And they stay with Isabelle while Ragnor, Raphael and I take the first line of defence." 

"Let's try to make our way to that hill over there, and keep our backs to it - that way we'll have one less side to worry about," Ragnor suggested. 

They broke in a run, with Raphael supporting Isabelle, and crouched in the lee of the small hill. The five shadowhunters applied as many runes as they could afford. The first wave of demons came cautiously, sniffing the air, lured in by the scent of angel blood. Thirty, maybe forty - creeping over the horizon and leaving trails of black oil in their wake. Magnus had never been sure if the Moloch demons were blind, because instead of eyes they had empty eye sockets that spouted flame, but in the instant that one of them turned its head in their direction, all the rest turned as if they shared one mind. The demons slid across the ash towards them - thirty metres away... twenty metres now...

"Now!" Magnus shouted. 

Simon and Rebecca's sunlight runes burned through the demons that were almost upon them, and whatever survived of the second and third waves of demons fled from the blinding light pouring out from their palms. Then Simon staggered and slumped down onto the ground, and Rebecca fell to her knees, the light cutting out abruptly. Raphael and Ragnor went to their sides immediately. 

"That took far too much effort," Simon wheezed, and coughed. His hand came away bloody, like Magnus' had earlier.

The Moloch demons were keeping their distance now, but were still lurking around. Magnus could see them gathering in greater and greater numbers, and he had no idea how intelligent they were. How long would it take them to figure out that the shadowhunters could no longer risk summoning the sunlight?

"We're not going to be able to make it to the castle," Rebecca said, glancing at Simon, communicating wordlessly with him. Her brother hesitated, then nodded. "Simon and I will stay. We'll be the distraction - we'll only slow you down anyway, in the state we're in. We'll buy you some time."

"No!" Raphael snapped immediately. "They're not coming at us anymore. You can lean on us, and we'll-"

"Raphael, hey," Simon stopped him weakly. "Let's be realistic. We're the weakest fighters, and now with this Hell dimension affecting us the worst, we're pretty much deadweights. We have to stop Malcolm, right? That's more important."

"But not like this," Isabelle said, her voice breaking.

"I know we were not brought up as Nephilim, but give us some credit, all right? We know what we have to do - for the greater good, and all that," Rebecca said bravely. 

"We'll be fine," Simon said with false brightness. "We're just going to blast them with sunlight rune after sunlight rune. We'll probably take them all out on our own, then catch up with you guys in a bit. Piece of cake."

Raphael clenched his jaw. "I can't let you do this alone."

"I'm not alone, I've got my sister with me," Simon reminded him. "And you've gotta stick with your parabatai."

Magnus was silent throughout all of this; all he could think of was the Seelie Queen's parting words: " _Your friends will pay the price for Alec Lightwood's freedom, and you will let them_." His gaze flickered back to the hordes of waiting Moloch demons. While they were squabbling, the demons had drawn closer and closer, testing the waters - or perhaps just unable to help themselves, drawn to the promise of tasty Nephilim blood and death. There were still hundreds upon hundreds of them. 

He knew, logically, that Rebecca and Simon's plan made the most sense, even if his heart and conscience were rebelling against it. But, even then, how many sunlight runes could Rebecca and Simon cast before their strength gave out? Already, Magnus could feel his own lungs seizing up in the foul atmosphere, his head throbbing with a dull ache that wouldn't go away. His mind wandered to the fire that had flown from his hands and annihilated the fear demon on Asmodeus' ship - perhaps if he could only get that fire back, all the oily Moloch demons would catch fire with one blast - or maybe it wouldn't even affect them, since they were born from fire themselves.

Well, he'd be damned if he'd let the Queen be right.

"I thought we agreed that we were going to do this together, or not at all," Magnus said, twirling his double seraph blades.  

"Because only you get to make the noble self-sacrificing plans?" Ragnor snorted.  

"What do you have in mind?" Raphael asked, sounding a little desperate. 

"We've got to make them afraid of us, so they'll leave us alone."

"What do you expect me and Rebecca to do? Cough at them?" Simon wheezed. 

"Then the rest of us will fight," Magnus shrugged. "Isabelle's shield can cover the three of you, right?" 

"So it'll be three of you against, what, three thousand of them?" Rebecca asked skeptically. 

"That’s what makes it impressive, isn't it?" Magnus smirked cockily.  

He turned to face the hordes of demons, and raised his blades. "By the Angel Raziel!" he cried out, and the blades flashed with a pulse of light, suddenly brighter in the gloom. The demons cowered and snarled.

Raphael bared his teeth in a menacing grin. "Let's go raise some hell."

  

 

Perhaps the Moloch demons weren't expecting the shadowhunters to throw themselves at them so recklessly, or perhaps they just weren't very quick on the uptake, but they were certainly caught by surprise. Raphael cut through the first line of demons effortlessly, with a flurry of throwing knives. Magnus and Ragnor were not far behind, blades flashing as they spilled ichor and oil. None of that seemed to be able to seep through the dry ashy ground, so the battleground became slippery with it.  

The three shadowhunters fought with a synchrony that only came about from years of fighting together, almost like all three of them were linked by a parabatai bond rather than just Ragnor and Raphael. Raphael had ditched his knives for a misericorde, preferring vicious close-quartered combat; Ragnor watched his parabatai's back and swung a heavy broadsword with deadly accuracy, slicing through two or three demons in one go; and Magnus danced forward and backwards through the throngs of demons, always coming back to his adopted brothers when he saw the need. It felt like they had slain at least a hundred of them, but they were still surrounded. 

"Is it just me, or is the oil on the ground still moving?" Ragnor called out as he leapt to one side to avoid a spout of flame from a demon. 

"It's not just you," Raphael confirmed grimly. 

Magnus took a gamble and grabbed one Moloch demon by the back of its neck when it was about to shoot fire at him from its eye sockets, and aimed it at the mess on the ground. The oily sludge didn't catch. Magnus grimaced and beheaded the creature he had captured before it could claw him, and wiped his hand on his trousers.  

"Ugh. I don't know why I even bothered, I'm covered in the damned stuff anyway," Magnus grumbled. 

"We're barely making a dent," Ragnor huffed, starting to sound winded. 

" _Dios_. They are reforming," Raphael barked out a warning. 

Magnus felt his spirits plummet. This was the Moloch demons' home dimension; they were not disintegrating like they usually did, and evidently they were much stronger here, strong enough to recover from the blows from seraph blades. They had gambled, and they had lost. 

"Isabelle - take Simon and Rebecca and go!" he called out. 

Just then, there were shouts of surprise from where the rest of the group were hiding.

"Get away from them!" they heard a familiar voice call out, and the demon hordes shrunk back. 

Magnus turned - Malcolm, his white hair and pale face standing out in stark contrast against the dark landscape, was standing on top of the hill Isabelle, Simon and Rebecca were hiding behind. In his right hand, he held the Mortal Sword, now no longer glowing silver, but black and sucking in the light around it, like a mini black hole.

"Hi guys!" Malcolm said brightly, as if he was bumping into them in the Institute hallways, instead of being pursued across Hell by five irate shadowhunters and a pissed-off warlock. "I thought I heard voices, so I came back for you!"

Magnus saw Raphael reach for one of his remaining throwing knives, and quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

"Wait. Let's see how this plays out," he murmured. 

"Whew, looks like I got here just in time," Malcolm continued, seemingly blithely unaware of the hostile glares and wary looks he was getting. "I did that too, when they came after me, and if I didn't have the Mortal Sword, I think I'd have been a goner." 

"Did what too?" Simon asked.

"Kill the smaller demons," Malcolm replied.

"And what happened afterwards?" Simon prodded.

"You'll see for yourself. Oh - um, you guys might want to come over here," Malcolm beckoned to Magnus, Ragnor and Raphael.  

"Behind you!" Isabelle cried out sharply.

Magnus, Ragnor and Raphael ran towards the rest of the group on instinct, slipping and sliding on the oily ground. When they were a safe distance away, Magnus turned back. 

The sludge on the ground was smoking. Raphael had been right about the demons they had slain reforming, but they weren't reforming into separate creatures - they were forming up into one large _thing_ , a great hulking horned figure of smoke and roiling oil the size of a skyscraper.

"What the fuck is that?" Rebecca muttered.

"The Greater Demon, Moloch," Ragnor breathed. "I'd forgotten - he's the deity the kings of Judah were sacrificing their children to."

"So all the smaller Moloch demons are what, his kids?" Simon asked.

"They are extensions of him," Magnus realised. "That's why they seemed to have a hive mind..."

The creature opened its eyes, and it was like looking into a fiery abyss. "I AM MOLOCH. KING OF THE SACRIFICE AND THE GREATEST WARRIOR AMONG THE ONES WHO FELL WITH THE MORNING STAR. WHO GOES THERE?" Its voice was like a hurricane, howling in their ears.

"I banished you once before, and I banish you again," Malcolm said firmly. "By the power of the Mortal Sword, I demand that you leave my friends alone." 

The demon laughed. "FRIENDS? THEY ARE HERE TO KILL YOU."

"Yes, friends. And my brother, by blood," Malcolm said confidently. "They won't kill me. We are on a quest, together, to free my brother's one true love."

"HEED MY WARNING, MALCOLM FADE, ABOMINATION AND ENEMY OF THE NEPHILIM," the demon hissed. "YOU BEAR MY NAME, AND SO I WARN YOU: BEWARE!" 

"Shut up!" Malcolm yelled at it crossly, pointing the Mortal Sword at it. "Go away and leave all of us alone!"

The demon gave a great hissing laugh, and dissipated like so much smoke, making all of them choke and their eyes water. By the time the air had cleared somewhat, Moloch had disappeared, along with the lesser Moloch demons.

Through his bloody coughing fit, Magnus muttered to Ragnor: "At least we're sure that thing works on Greater Demons." 

"Why did it say that Malcolm bears his name?" Raphael whispered.

"Moloch goes by many names - Baal, Kronos, Malkam..." Ragnor replied in a hushed tone.  

"Can you believe the nerve of that thing?" Malcolm asked all of them. He alone seemed unaffected by the foul smoke that lingered around them. "Demons. Always trying to turn people against each other," he scoffed. 

Magnus hummed non-committally and elbowed Raphael, who was opening his mouth to say something nasty. "Thanks for coming to our rescue, Malcolm." 

Malcolm beamed at them, obviously pleased to be appreciated. "No problem. Come on, let's go! I think the castle might still be about a day's walk away." Sheathing the Mortal Sword behind his back, Malcolm went off, whistling.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may feel like I'm mixing my Greek and Judeo-Christian mythology like nobody's business, but I actually did my research. (And I'm a theology geek.) Well. All the stories are true, right? ;) 
> 
> Also, if anybody is named Malcolm or knows someone named Malcolm, the name actually means "disciple of St Columba", and that was just some artistic license on my part, so don't worry about actually being named after a demon, ok?


	21. Chapter 21

 

 

Everyone turned to Magnus. He hesitated, then indicated that they should follow Malcolm. Raphael scowled, but moved to help Simon get on his feet. Magnus could sense Ragnor's anger seething beneath his calm expression. But unlike Raphael, who tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, Ragnor had always been the most rational and cautious of the three of them.   

"What do we do with him now?" Ragnor asked Magnus quietly. 

"We play along," Magnus replied. "We're all exhausted, especially Simon, Rebecca and I. And Malcolm is a good fighter. I don't think we're in a fit state to be burning bridges right now."

"And after that?" Ragnor bit out.

"Ragnor, I'm not saying that he should be excused for all the things he has done. But he was used by the Queen, and he's not right in the head, and none of that is his fault."

"So we turn him over to the Clave, after all this is done."

"At the best, that's a death sentence," Magnus pointed out. "They might decide that they want to experiment on him, or sentence him to life imprisonment in the City of Bones."

"Then what do you suggest?" 

"I don't know, Ragnor," Magnus sighed. "I really don't know."

 

 

They stopped to rest after another hour of walking. Almost everybody looked worse for wear - faces and clothes smeared with ash and oil, varying degrees of ichor burns, lips cracked and bloody - except Isabelle and Malcolm. They were beside a ridge of rock that crowned the top of a gray, scree-covered hill - the height gave them the advantage of a better view, and the rock provided a little shelter. It was as good a place as any. 

Magnus put on a far-sighted rune and squinted into the distance. There was a speck of something that didn't match the rest of the grey landscape, and the fiery line of the River Phlegethon beyond it, doubling back through the hellish landscape. It was half a day's journey away, if they rested reasonably well tonight and nothing went wrong.

"That's it, isn't it?" Malcolm asked him. "The castle with the hydra." 

"Yes, about that - we mustn't kill the hydra," Magnus told Malcolm. They hadn't really had the chance to talk properly before this, and Magnus felt like he owed it to Malcolm to make some effort before... well. Before they did whatever needed to be done. "The Seelie Queen tricked you into thinking that was the way to free Alec, but if you slay the hydra, Alec dies."

"What?!" Malcolm gasped in shock. "But seelies cannot lie! And she wouldn't lie to me..." 

"She did, Malcolm," Magnus told him gently. "Think back on your conversation with her - she never actually did say that killing the hydra would free Alec, did she?"

Malcolm's eyes flashed violet in the dark, and his expression turned stormy. "I'm going to tear her limb from limb," he promised, his voice shaking with rage.

"Hey, easy there," Magnus said evenly, trying to hide his alarm at Malcolm's sudden fury. "I've already exposed her lies to the Court - the Fair Folk can mete out their own punishments." 

Malcolm closed his eyes and swallowed, obviously trying to get a hold on himself. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's hard, sometimes. Something inside me just feels like it's trying to get out when I get angry..." 

"I'll print you some photos of Chairman Meow that you can keep in your wallet," Magnus offered half-jokingly.

"That would be nice," Malcolm said, his face breaking into a smile. He opened his eyes to look at Magnus. "I'm so glad I found you, Magnus. I hear our mother died some years back, and I couldn't care less about Asmodeus, but you - you are the only blood family I have left. After we have rescued Alec, we could all move to Cornwall - the sea air will be good for Alec's recovery, and a nice change of scenery to put all the unhappy things behind us, and we could be a proper happy family - my Da, you, Alec, and I!" he said eagerly. 

"That sounds nice," Magnus said neutrally, something inside him aching for the brother Malcolm could have been.

"And maybe Rebecca, and Simon, of course, if he wants..." Malcolm continued, and blushed a bit. "Well, I know it's too early for that, we've only been on one date." 

"Yes, it's probably a bit too early to think of asking her to move to a different country with you," Magnus said lightly. 

"I'll have to ask you for advice on where to go on my next date with Rebecca - you're more experienced at this and all, even though I'm your big brother," Malcolm said shyly. "I'm so glad I have you now!" he repeated, and impulsively threw his arms around Magnus in a hug. Magnus patted Malcolm awkwardly on the back, and exchanged an uncomfortable look with Ragnor over Malcolm's shoulder. 

Ragnor cleared his throat. "I think we should take turns keeping watch." 

"Magnus and I will take first watch!" Malcolm volunteered, stepping a little way back from Magnus but still with one arm slung around his shoulders. "We haven't really had the time to spend time together as brothers." 

"Yeah," Magnus said with a heavy heart, twisting his Bane family ring around his finger. "Let's go, Malcolm."

 

 

They approached the castle cautiously. Raphael had snuck ahead and returned to report that the ruined castle had appeared to be unguarded except for a huge black hydra with at least fifty heads that seemed to take turns sleeping. There was a high wall around the castle, and he hadn't been able to see anybody at the windows.

Simon had drawn the runes for all the shadowhunters - even Malcolm, despite Raphael's misgivings. Magnus had never been so heavily runed in his life, every inch of his skin black with the angel's sigils. His blood was humming from it, his whole being thrown into hyperawareness.

He had not slept well, after taking the first watch with Malcolm. He had let Malcolm prattle on about inconsequential things, and Malcolm hadn't seemed to mind his monosyllabic responses. He had been friendly with Malcolm before, but now every second in Malcolm's presence made his skin crawl. All Magnus could think of was the look on Catarina's face when Malcolm had hurt her, the screams of the werewolf child, and the devastation on the faces of the Blackthorn siblings. And he had thought about how much he wished Asmodeus was still alive so he could break every single one of his bones slowly, and rip the skin off his father's face inch by inch, for what he'd done to Malcolm and for taking away the brother Magnus could have had.

Maybe it was these violent thoughts that had led to the violent dreams in his restless sleep - filled with demons dancing inside flames and blood running through the streets of New York City. He had dreamed of the people he loved dying, of Alec's apartment in Brooklyn filled with gore and carnage, and worst of all, he had dreamed of Alec screaming and crying, and it had torn him from the inside out that he couldn't get to Alec and hold him in his arms and make the pain go away.

"We can't kill the hydra. So how do we get in?" Simon asked, already starting to wheeze again despite the number of healing runes he had applied on himself. 

Magnus exchanged a look with Isabelle. "I think it's time to summon Marbas."

Malcolm unsheathed the Mortal Sword from his back and held it out to Magnus. "You'll do the honours, of course," he said cheerfully. "Alec is your boyfriend. This is your moment of triumph."

"Don't count your victories before the battle is done," Magnus said, and took the Sword gingerly from Malcolm. 

Previously, holding the Mortal Sword had been a painful and unpleasant experience, but it had nothing on how it felt to hold the Sword now, after its conversion. He hadn't been expecting the revulsion he felt from touching it, the corruption and evil radiating from the blade creeping into his very bones. The sensation of fish hooks digging into the core of his soul now felt oily and unclean, tearing into his flesh and spreading tendrils of something poisonous. If he held on to the blade for too long, he was certain it would change something in him irrevocably. 

He took a deep breath, his body shaking from the strain of keeping his grip on the Sword when all he wanted to do was fling it into the flames of the Phlegethon. "Marbas!" he called out in as steady a voice as he could manage. "Come to us! We summon you here by the power of the Mortal Sword!" 

There was a clap of thunder. The hydra sitting on the roof of the castle reared its head and roared, and something replied with an answering roar. There was a whooshing sound of wings, and a monstrous winged lion the size of a house dropped out of the sky.

"WHO CALLS ME?" it asked, and narrowed three glowing red eyes at Magnus. The figure of the lion warped and shrank, twisting and writhing, until it was the size of a man. It took one look at Magnus and the Sword in his hand, and started laughing uproariously. "When I granted Alexander his favour, I didn't expect this turn of events! Who would have thought any child of mine could corrupt one of the angel-born so completely? Truly, Alexander has in him the talents of Lucifer himself."

"You don't get to call him your son. You are not worthy," Magnus spat out. He pointed the Sword at Marbas. "I command you to free Alexander Lightwood from his deal with you. You aren't allowed to have anymore claim or hold over him."

"Done," Marbas said easily. "You are welcome to take whatever is left of Alexander. I think the entertainment of having a Nephilim turn Maellartach into a demonic weapon has been a fair exchange. You do realise that when your life on earth ends, the Great Dark One will come and drag you down here, where you belong now - with us. We are going to have such _fun_ with you, little Nephilim."

Magnus heard a shocked inhale from Malcolm, and his heart clenched, but the Sword in his hands ripping into his mind and his soul left him with no energy to deal with Malcolm's problems at the present. One problem at a time.

"You'll go inside that castle and bring Alec out," Magnus said decisively. "And if you hurt even a single hair on his head, I'll make your fall into the fires of Hell seem like a walk in the park."

"There are three walls around the castle, made from pure adamas, to repel demons - I am not allowed passage," Marbas shrugged. "Once a sacrifice is given, I may not take it back - not personally, at least." 

"How do we get into the castle safely, then?" Ragnor asked. 

"You can't. The hydra was put in place to destroy any angel-blooded creature that comes near," Marbas smirked.

"But _I_ can enter," Isabelle spoke up. "I can withstand the touch of adamas to a certain degree, and I have no angel blood."

"That is true," Marbas allowed.

"I'll bring him back," Isabelle promised Magnus.

"I know," Magnus said, and tried to smile, but the agony from holding on to the Sword turned it into a grimace.

Isabelle walked right up to the castle - the hydra eyed her suspiciously, and snorted, but did not move towards her. With a wave of her hand, she sent the gates of the castle flying with a blast of magic, and ran in. 

Marbas conjured a golden throne for himself, and settled down comfortably to wait. "Nephilim," Marbas addressed Magnus. "You seem to be taking the news that you have damned your eternal soul to Hell quite well."

Magnus didn't dare let go of the Sword until Alec and Isabelle were safely out of the castle. The Sword dug its hooks in, and the words spilled from Magnus' mouth beyond his control: "I wasn't the one who turned the Sword." 

"Indeed? Then the Nephilim are more devious than I gave them credit for," Marbas said with a raised eyebrow. "Tell me - who had taken the fall for your selfish crusade?" 

"I'm not here to make small talk with demons," Magnus said through gritted teeth, trying to fight the pull of the Sword.

"Me," Malcolm said in a small voice. "I'm the one who turned the Sword. Am I really doomed to Hell now?" he asked in a rush. 

Marbas looked Malcolm over critically, then continued speaking to Magnus as if Malcolm wasn't worthy of his attention. "Clever of you to use him," he said casually. "Killing two birds with one stone - pruning the embarrassing branches of your family tree while getting your lover back. Alexander has done very well for himself."

"Magnus wasn't trying to get rid of me, he'll protect me from the Clave and anybody who tries to get at me," Malcolm insisted, then faltered. "Right, Magnus?" 

Magnus almost bit his tongue in his effort to stay quiet, but the pull of the Soul Sword was too great. "No," he finally replied Malcolm. "I know you're not entirely to blame, but you have to answer for all the wrong you have done."

"No," Malcolm whispered. "Then what of all the promises you made? When I talked about going home to Cornwall?"  

"I didn't promise you anything." 

"You lied to me," Malcolm said, his voice shaking. "I hate it when people lie to me. I thought you'd be different. You're my blood, my brother - _you are supposed to love me_."

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," Raphael couldn't resist biting out. "Magnus is _our_ brother." 

Malcolm turned to Raphael then, his eyes blazing with violet fire. "You turned Magnus against me," Malcolm accused. "All of you! He was the last family I had, and you took him away from me!" 

"Malcolm-" Magnus tried to speak, but he couldn't think of a single thing he could say to temper Malcolm's fury, not when none of it was true. 

"Every single one of you will pay in blood," Malcolm growled with madness in his eyes, and lunged at them. 


	22. Chapter 22

 

Magnus knew Raphael had been itching for an excuse to have a go at Malcolm, and true enough he met Malcolm's challenge head-on with a fiendish glee. 

"You want to talk about paying in blood?" he asked Malcolm as their blades clashed. "I'll make you pay in blood for Catarina, and for all the children and Silent Brothers you murdered." 

Malcolm didn't bother responding, simply pressing his sword down harder - until Raphael's blade broke. Raphael jumped back unfazed, and Ragnor stepped right up with his broadsword. Raphael caught the spare blade Simon threw at him, and Malcolm snarled at Simon, causing Rebecca to immediately move in front of her brother, featherstaff at a ready to block him.

Hurt flashed in Malcolm's eyes. "You too, huh?" He looked at them, eyes glowing eerily in the dark. "Four against one."

"I don't think you have grounds to complain about fairness, considering you murdered four defenceless children," Ragnor snarled.

Malcolm roared and charged at the four shadowhunters. He could move faster than any of them, his blows hard enough to make them stagger. Every time they got close enough to strike, Malcolm would dematerialise, then materialise again to strike back. Malcolm had immediately realised Simon was a weak spot, centering his attacks on him so they were all kept busy trying to protect him. Even with four of them against him, it was clear that it was only a matter of time before one of them was struck down by Malcolm.  

Weighed down by the Soul Sword, Magnus was helpless to stop the fight. He glared at Marbas, who was leaning back in his chair with the air of someone watching a show. 

"Stop them," Magnus hissed. 

"Your wish is my command, but are you sure that's what you're really asking for?" the demon asked. "Are you just too cowardly to ask me to kill your brother? It would certainly solve all your problems." 

Hearing this, Malcolm spun around. "After all I've done for you, Magnus," he hissed. "The Queen was right, I should have listened to her - you truly are your father's son."

"Malcolm, I don't want to hurt you," Magnus said.  

"It's a bit too late for that, Magnus," Malcolm said bitterly. 

"Let's talk this through calmly. Don't let the demon manipulate you into making a bigger mistake."

"A bigger mistake than damning myself to hell for a brother that doesn't even care about me? I'm done talking, Magnus. You may be the one with the angel blood, but you have the Devil's own tongue," he said. "I'm not going to be manipulated by you again!" With that, he leapt into the air, bringing his blade down on Magnus. 

 

 

The first wall had been easy enough to breach - Isabelle could feel the weight of the hydra's gaze on her, but it remained as still as a statue, merely observing her progress. As she ran in, she found herself in a little neat little courtyard - barren of any vegetation, but not unpleasant, as far as a castle in a Hell dimension went. The glowing silver-white walls of adamas seemed to give off a searing aura that pressed on Isabelle's mind, but she tried her best not to flinch. The second wall was only a few feet away, the gate slightly ajar. Everything about it screamed that this was a trap. 

Isabelle inched across the few feet separating her from the second wall gingerly - then it was as if she had stepped on a switch, and a thousand adamas blades shot out from the ground. They were randomly spaced, wickedly sharp - but it wasn't impossible to cross, even if you were wearing 5-inch heels. Isabelle smirked a little, confident of being able to pass the first trial, and carefully picked her way across the treacherous path to reach the second wall.

The wall of the second gate opened up to towering hedges of the strange black vegetation that they had seen scattered here and there on their journey to the castle. It seemed to form some sort of maze. Isabelle stepped forward and the hedges seemed to swallow her up, drawing nearer to her and making the path ahead seem narrower. She didn't look back, because she had a feeling that if she did, she would find the path behind her gone. Anyway, she wasn't turning back, not when she was so close to finding Alec.

After a few metres, she came to a fork in the maze. She looked up above her, trying to gauge which direction she should turn, but all she could see was the dark starless sky. The path in the hedge had not been completely straight, curving very, very gradually to the right - so she should take the left turn. She vaguely remembered reading that the way out of a maze was to always keep to either the left or the right. On the spur of the moment, she cast a spell and turned one of the rocks on the ground red to mark the fork if she had to come back, and walked carefully down the left path. It twisted and turned, and she came to another fork, then another - and Isabelle marked every fork with a numbered red stone.

After her sixth left turn, she came to another fork in the path, and this time, there was a plain red stone right in the middle of the path - the first red stone she had spelled. She had been going around in circles and she was right at the beginning again. Huffing in frustration, she placed a hand on the hedge and _burned_ \- the black, dry vegetation caught fire easily, but Isabelle had it under control. She waited - nothing seemed to be rebelling against her unorthodox method of getting through the maze, so she simply burned a hole through the hedge walls until she reached the third adamas wall. 

The gate in the third wall opened up to a chasm four or five feet across. Isabelle could see the entrance to the castle right in front of her now, an elegant archway of adamas, and beyond that, some sort of foyer with staircases leading left and right into the different wings of the castle. 

Isabelle sent a spurt of magic across the chasm, intending to make a bridge with her magic, but the red sparks fizzled out and disintegrated, as if being put out by an unseen wind from the darkness below. Something stirred below in the pitch black depths, something ancient and evil, and she thought she heard it whisper. She frowned and picked up a rock from the ground, and threw that - it sailed across the chasm safely and rolled to a halt on the other side. Perhaps it was only magic that couldn't cross? There was nothing for it - Isabelle took a few steps back, then took a running start, and leapt. 

 

 

It took supreme effort, but Magnus raised the Mortal Sword and parried Malcolm's blow, sliding a few feet backwards in the ash from the force of the blow. 

Every muscle screaming from the strain, Magnus threw Malcolm off and swung the heavy silver sword at him, missing him by an inch. Malcolm lunged forward, taking advantage of Magnus' unfamiliarity with the weapon and nicked him on the arm before he could properly sidestep the attack. Magnus brought the blade up again to block another blow, then another, the exhaustion from the half-day trek through the Hell dimension and from fighting the pull of the Mortal Sword making him clumsy and forcing him to take a defensive position. 

Seeing an opening, Malcolm spun and kicked Magnus in the chest. Magnus was knocked hard to the ground and had to quickly roll out the way to avoid Malcolm's sword coming down on him. 

"Magnus!" Ragnor cried out and rushed forward. 

With an irritated huff, Malcolm spun around and his blade flew across Ragnor's throat.

"No," Magnus cried out, struggling to get back on his feet. "No! Ragnor!" 

Ragnor fell with a horrible gurgling sound, clutching at his throat. At the same moment, Raphael gave a cry of pain and dropped to his knees, clawing at his chest just above his heart, where his parabatai rune was.

Indifferent to the cries of shock and sorrow all around him, Malcolm turned back to drive his sword through Magnus, but Magnus was ready for him. His grief had transformed him, giving him the strength to ignore the agony the Sword was causing him. All Magnus could think of was vengeance. He came at Malcolm like an avenging angel, his movements swift and deadly. 

Malcolm faltered a little from the unexpected change in Magnus, but soon he was meeting Magnus blow for blow. Sparks flew as their blades clashed against each other, their faces twisted into identical masks of murderous hatred. Their attacks became more brutal, each taking advantage of even the slightest opening or misstep with vicious stabs and slashes. There was no doubt that this fight would only end with either one or both of them dead.

Then there was a cry of pain from inside the castle.  _Isabelle_.

Magnus was only distracted for an instant, but it was enough for Malcolm to slide his blade into Magnus' shoulder. Magnus gritted his teeth and sliced the Mortal Sword clean through Malcolm's sword, the end of the blade still lodged in his shoulder.

The jumble of fury-grief-fear inside him was palpable now, a fire raging inside his soul, and before Magnus could think twice, he threw his arm out in front of him. A blast of heat flew out at Malcolm, and Magnus knew immediately what was going to happen a split second before it became a reality - Malcolm caught fire, the way the fear demon had in the bowels of Asmodeus' ship so long ago.

Malcolm spun and twirled as the flames engulfed him, screaming in pain. He dropped to the ground and attempted to roll on the ash to put the fire out, but this appeared to be no ordinary fire. The flames devoured Malcolm with tongues of red, orange and gold, filling the air with a horrific stench of burning flesh. From the corner of his eye, Magnus saw Rebecca pulling at Simon and Raphael, trying to get them away from Malcolm but also from _him_ , the fear in her eyes piercing Magnus like any weapon. Even the demon Marbas had risen from his throne and was staring at the sight with mild alarm.

Under the onslaught of the fire, Malcolm's white hair charred and his pale skin cracked and sizzled and shrivelled. His writhing form shuddered, and the agonised screams from his throat died off, but still the fire raged on after he had stopped moving. It seemed like an age had passed before the fire began to flicker and ebb, finally putting itself out with one last quiet hiss, leaving a contorted, blackened skeleton behind.

"And it came to pass, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him," Marbas murmured. 

But Magnus wasn't paying attention to the demon, or even to Raphael and his friends. He crawled on his hands and knees, one hand still gripping the Mortal Sword tightly, and dragged himself to where Ragnor's ruined body lay. Ragnor's blood had soaked into the ashy ground beneath him, turning the grey a dull red. He still had one hand wrapped around his own throat in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood, and his open eyes were glassy and unseeing. Magnus bit back a sob and gently pressed Ragnor's eyes closed with a trembling hand. 

" _Ave Atque Vale_ ," Magnus whispered. "Hail and farewell, my brother."


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about Ragnor. I knew it had to be one of them, and Magnus loved Ragnor the most, so...
> 
> "What would there be in a story of happiness? Only what prepares it, only what destroys it can be told." - André Gide

 

Magnus was dimly aware of Raphael lurching over to them. He wasn't expecting him to shove Magnus away from Ragnor - although he supposed he deserved it.

"Get away from him," Raphael snarled, clinging on to his parabatai's shirt with a death grip, hunched over his body in a protective stance. "This is your fault."

"Hey, now," Simon tried to be reasonable. "That's not fair, Raphael, and you know it." 

Magnus shook his head. Raphael wasn't wrong - this was his fault. The tip of the seraph blade was still lodged in his shoulder, so he pulled it free but he hardly felt it. Why did it even matter anyway? Ragnor was dead. He glared balefully at Marbas, and the demon eyed him warily. Marbas was the reason they were even here in the first place. Marbas was the one who had goaded Malcolm on, made him turn on them all when he had forced Magnus to reveal the truth. Marbas was the reason Ragnor was dead and Magnus had had to kill Malcolm. 

"Tell me, Marbas," Magnus said, his eyes dry but red-rimmed, gripping the Mortal Sword so hard his knuckles were white. "If I killed you now, would it prevent Isabelle from rescuing Alec from the castle?" 

Marbas curled his lips in a sneer. "Such arrogance, to think that you can kill me. I am the General of Hell!" 

"I saw your face, when I burned Malcolm. You were afraid - and it makes me wonder what I can do, if it can make a Greater Demon afraid. Answer my question truthfully, Marbas." 

There was a flicker of anger on the demon's face, but Magnus was pleased to see he couldn't fight the pull of the Sword either. "No. I have given my word. Alexander is free."

"Good," Magnus breathed out. "Maybe my fire can't kill you, but I bet it'll hurt like hell."

"You may have the fire of Heaven at your fingertips, but you are greatly weakened. If you try to kill me, you might not live to see Alexander," Marbas pointed out quickly. "You came all this way to save him, and you're willing to throw that all away for someone who isn't even your blood?" 

"Ragnor was my brother in all the ways that mattered," Magnus snarled. "And nothing you can say will distract me from avenging him."

Before he could even get to his feet, Marbas lashed out first. In a blink he was no longer in the shape of a man, but the towering winged lion that was his true form. He pounced at Magnus, wicked talons gleaming. Magnus simply rolled under him and drove the Sword deep into the soft abdomen, and Marbas howled with pain. Before Magnus could pull the Sword back, however, the demon beat its gigantic wings and rose on its hind paws, leaving Magnus clinging on to the hilt of the Sword for dear life as he was lifted into the air. Magnus twisted the blade hard and yanked it out just as a huge paw came down on him to swat at him, and he fell to the ground heavily, too exhausted to land with his usual grace.  

Simon and Rebecca were trying to drag Raphael from Ragnor's body before they were trampled by the demon, but Raphael was having none of it.

"He's dead, Raphael!" Simon yelled. "I know it sucks, but he's dead, and he wouldn't want you to die too!"

"No!"

"Oh for fuck's sake-" Rebecca put a hand out in front of her, and practically threw Raphael and Ragnor's limp body a few feet away.

Marbas immediately took advantage of their distraction to swipe at Rebecca, but Simon was ready for it - he quickly completed the sunlight rune he'd drawn halfway for emergencies, and Marbas cowered from the sudden bright burst of scorching sunlight, and Magnus took the opportunity to let all of his rage and grief loose in a massive fireball.

The demon shrieked as its fur and feathers caught alight, and all the shadowhunters scrambled to get out of the way of its blind trampling - or at least Magnus tried, but it was as if he had broken a flood dam; all his pain and emotion was surging out of him in one fiery flood, and Magnus didn't know how to make it stop. The fire rose around him, pouring out from his hands. The ashy ground shouldn't have been able to catch fire, but it did, as if someone had soaked the ground with petrol, and soon the flames surrounding Magnus were so high that he could no longer see the sky.

 

 

Alec was sitting on the couch in his apartment, reading a book and waiting for Magnus to come home. He had a strange sense of something being wrong, although he couldn't have said what was making him feel so anxious. He couldn't seem to understand a single word of what he was reading and couldn't even have said what the the title of the book was, but he was almost sure that he had a book in his hands... 

"Alec!" 

Alec frowned. That was Izzy's voice, but Izzy wasn't here. 

"Alec, please..."

There was a hand on his face, the slim, delicate fingers of his sister's hand - hands he had held when they were children and afraid of the dark, hands that had pinched and slapped him when they fought, hands that had wiped away blood and sweat and tears as often as he had done for her. He lifted a hand to grasp that invisible wrist, but found that he couldn't. There was something stopping his wrist, something heavy and hard coiled around it - but there was nothing _there_... He felt the world around him crack, as if he were breaking out of a shell. The apartment around him vanished, along with the feel of the couch underneath him, the book in his hand - but the touch of Izzy's hand on his face lingered. 

Alec's hazel eyes snapped open, then he doubled over coughing and choking from the metallic taste of blood and ash in his mouth.

"Alec! Oh, thank goodness!"

Izzy threw her arms around him, sobbing in relief. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, when Marbas came," she said tearfully.

Alec stared at her, still not quite sure this was reality. It seemed more likely that this was another hallucination sent by Marbas to mess with him - to offer hope, only to tear it away again. But this Izzy was certainly not as put together as Izzy would have been if he had dreamed her up. Her clothes were torn, her hair done up in a ponytail that was already coming undone, her whole person covered with grime, blood and tears. In fact, there was a burn all across the left side of her body, as if she had pressed against a piece of burning hot iron, and her face...

"I fell on the floor of the main foyer, when I jumped across the chasm," she said by way of explanation, even though the explanation didn't make any sense to Alec. "I wasn't expecting the floor to be made of adamas too. It's fine, I'll heal-"

"Izzy," Alec said, his voice cracking, raw from screaming and crying. "Your mark." 

She raised a hand to her forehead self-consciously. "It's a long story," she said with a tight smile. "Come, we have to get out of here quickly. Magnus is holding on to the angel's Sword, and it seems to be hurting him. I don't know how much longer he can stand it."

Alec looked dazed. "Magnus? He came?"

Isabelle huffed in exasperation. "Of course he came, you idiot."

Isabelle waved a hand at the chains that bound Alec, and frowned when nothing happened. She tried again, and looked uneasy.  

"I think there's too much adamas in the walls, it's suppressing my magic," she said, and began to tug on the chains, but they held fast. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered, unsheathing her dagger from her belt and using it to pry at where the chains were hammered into the stone floor. "I should have thought of bringing a bigger weapon..." 

Alec stared dumbly at his own wrists. They were bloody and raw from where he had tugged at them in his nightmares. Now that he was coming back to his own mind gradually, he was suddenly aware of a bone-deep weariness. He was still wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing when he'd been taken, but they seemed to be hanging very loosely from his frame.  

Then there was a horrifying howl, and a shriek, and something outside threw a warm orange glow through the narrow window. Isabelle walked over hurriedly and tiptoed to look out, then gasped in shock.

"Magnus!" Isabelle cried, and the tone of despair and fear in it tore Alec's heart.

He surged to his feet with a strength he didn't realise he had left, and the heavy chains that had held him to the stone floor broke and fell to his feet in a shower of metal dust. Isabelle was at his side in an instant as he tried to take an unsteady step forward.  

"What's happening?" he asked. 

"Fire - fire unlike anything I've seen before."

"Take me to him, please, help me," he whispered. 

"I've got you, big brother," she assured him, and they made their way out of the cell. 

 

 

Alec didn't know how he would have managed to get across the obstacles in their way out of the castle without Izzy by his side. With limited magic available to her, his sister had used the chains that had bound him to fashion a precarious bridge for them to cross, then guided him painstakingly across the field of adamas blades. 

But what awaited them outside was beyond their imagining - Ragnor dead, a charred corpse that was no longer recognisable as Malcolm, and a pillar of holy fire like something out of the Bible which apparently contained Magnus. 

"And Marbas?" Isabelle asked. 

"Gone," Rebecca replied. "He kind of burned away into ash."

Alec was staring at the pillar of fire, his heart in the merciless grip of fear and sorrow. Knowing that Magnus was inside there, but not knowing if Magnus was dead or alive, when they had been so close to having a second chance - it was ripping him to pieces. The heart of the fire burned gold. Alec made up his mind. 

"Alec, no! You can't go in there," Isabelle pleaded as Alec took a step towards the fire.  

"Magnus would never hurt me," Alec replied.

"That fire isn't Magnus, Magnus isn't in control," she hissed. "Look at what it did to Malcolm! And he only had demon blood injections, not a demon parent."

"Izzy, he needs me. I can't..." he shook his head her, willing her to understand.

She let go of his arm, and nodded. 

The heat of the fire should have been unbearable up close, but Alec barely felt it - all he knew was a ball of calm settling in his body like a protective talisman. Magnus was right there, waiting for him. 

He braced himself and stepped into the fire, and it embraced him, turning from tongues of red and orange to shifting hues of green and blue where it touched him. It seemed there was sand under all that ash, and it was melting into a silvery pool of glass. Walking through the wall of fire was easy, soothing even. The flames fell away as he reached the centre. 

Magnus was kneeling in the middle of the circle of fire, fire still pouring from his hands, and it seemed like the very blood in his veins was on fire, as if it was lava flowing in his body - he was glowing like a lantern, the light pulsing through him outlining muscles and sinew. His eyes were closed, body upright but slumped over and limp, and Alec wondered if he was even conscious.

"Magnus?"  

At the sound of Alec's voice, Magnus' eyes flew open. They were glowing gold with the light of the fire, like cat eyes in the dark. 

"Am I dreaming?" Magnus whispered.

"No," Alec replied. "I'm here, I'm real."

Magnus' eyes met Alec's - a flurry of emotions flashed past: joy, relief, then fear. “Alexander, you have to get away from me-”

"I walked through the fire to get to you," Alec told him, and dropped to his knees so he was level with Magnus. "No harm done, see?" 

"The fire... it didn't hurt you?" 

Alec shook his head and reached one hand out to Magnus, but Magnus flinched away. 

"It's ok," Alec said patiently. "You won't hurt me."

"How?"

"I don't know," Alec told Magnus honestly. His hand moved forward again, and this time Magnus stayed still, eyes wide as Alec's hand came up to cup his face. Magnus shuddered and closed his eyes, leaning in to Alec's touch. His skin was hot, almost painfully so, but Alec kept his hand there.

"I love you, Magnus. I'm sorry I didn't believe you before, I'm sorry I didn't realise how much you loved me too," Alec said.

A ghost of a smile flitted across Magnus' face. "You're an idiot."

"I am," Alec agreed gravely.

Magnus let out a snort of laughter, and the fire around them wavered. Magnus sobered abruptly. "I don't know how to stop this," Magnus told Alec. "It feels like my soul is flowing out of me, and I don't know how to stop it." 

"I may have an idea," Alec said. "But you have to trust me. You have to let me in." 

"Of course I will, darling, but can't we wait until we're out of this Hell dimension before we have our celebratory reunion sex?" 

Alec snorted, and Magnus grinned with a shadow of his usual mischievousness. Around them, the wall of fire flickered again, and Alec thought he caught a glimpse of Izzy and the other shadowhunters waiting anxiously beyond the circle of fire. 

"You're impossible," Alec told Magnus, and kissed him. 

Their kiss was gentle, and tasted of blood and ash. Alec could feel the fire in Magnus, and tried to hold tight to that ball of calm inside him. They were a million miles away from anything familiar, but he knew he was home, _they_ were both home. Because home was a person, not a place, and nothing had ever calmed the clamouring in Alec's heart like having Magnus in his arms. 

Around them the fire suddenly burned green, then blue, then blinked out. They broke the kiss then, Magnus looking breathless but at peace. 

"So that was the solution? True love's kiss?" Alec heard Rebecca asking a little disbelievingly. 

"No, actually I figured Magnus needed to be distracted from the emotions that had caused him to lose control of the fire, to bring him back to himself."

Magnus' gaze landed on Ragnor and Malcolm, and his mood dropped immediately. "Good call," he nodded closing in on himself again. Isabelle threw herself at both of them, pulling them both in a hug.

"Good to have you back again, man," Simon told Alec. "But you look like crap."

"Hey," Magnus protested. "That's my man you're talking about." 

"Simon's got a point though," Rebecca said. "Alec and Magnus look half-dead from exhaustion, and frankly I think the rest of us aren't too far behind. We're almost out of food and water. How are we going to walk all the way back to the Styx?"

"We're not leaving Ragnor behind," Raphael spoke up suddenly.

Rebecca looked uncomfortable. "Raphael-"

"No. We're not leaving his body in this god-forsaken place," Raphael snarled in a voice that brooked no argument. "If he stays, then I stay too."

"I have a plan," Magnus said.

"Oh god, not again," Simon muttered. 

Leaning heavily on Alec and Isabelle, Magnus got to his feet. He tried to lift the Sword, but didn't have the strength to do so anymore, so he opted to stick it in the ground and use it to prop himself up instead. 

"Moloch!" he cried out. "Come to us!"

"You're summoning a demon?" Alec asked, his eyes widening.

"Relax - I've got this," Magnus insisted as the ground began to smoke.

"YOU DARE SUMMON ME, NEPHILIM?" the demon thundered when it was fully formed. 

"Yes, yes, spare me the posturing," Magnus said tiredly. "Open us a Portal straight to the New York Institute, will you? And no funny business - no debts, no consequences, all of us get through in one piece - have I missed anything?"

"No demons following us," Simon suggested.

"Yes, and nothing nasty tries to follow after us."

Moloch growled. "I AM NOT YOUR SERVA-" 

"Just shut up and do it," Magnus snapped. 

The Greater Demon released a deafening howl of frustration, but the air before them began to swirl in the unmistakable shape of a Portal. They could see the shadowhunters panicking on the other side at the sudden appearance of the Portal.

"Malcolm," Magnus said suddenly. "I should bring him home too." 

"I've got it," Isabelle said soothingly, and waved a hand so Malcolm floated up behind them on a red cloud of magic.

They stepped through the Portal - Simon and Rebecca, Raphael with Ragnor in his arms, then Magnus, Alec and Isabelle with Malcolm. The Portal snapped shut, leaving Moloch to scream across the empty wasteland.


	24. Epilogue

 

 

They made their way down the tunnel together, holding hands.

Alec had been almost skeletal when he had been rescued from the castle in Topheth, but months of careful nursing by Isabelle had helped fill him back out to a healthier shape. His magic was almost non-existent now, and Isabelle's powers were also much weaker than before - they weren't sure if it was because of all they had endured in their time in Hell, or whether it was because Magnus had killed or scattered their demon father's essence in the Void, or a combination of both. Maybe they would recover with time, or maybe not. Alec was no longer the High Warlock, but there were other ways he could continue helping downworlders and mundanes.

The Sword was heavy across Magnus' back. It had been a bit of challenge keeping it hidden when they had crashed through the Portal into the middle of the Institute command centre, but thankfully there had been plenty of other things going on to distract everyone. Magnus was still wearing his mourning bracelets, two thin metal bands with runes of healing and grief hammered in. He had been careful not to use his powers again, although Alec said he was just going to make it worse, and harder to control. Maybe he would, some day. But not now, not yet.

Grass gave way to black sand, and soon they were standing on the black pebble beach on the edge of the Styx. The ferryman was nowhere in sight, and neither was his barge - Magnus wondered if they'd made him a new one or somehow managed to retrieve the half-burned one they'd abandoned in Topheth. Either way, the souls of the dead must be getting across somehow, because there weren't many of the wispy things floating around. Magnus noticed Alec looking intently at them.

"Anyone we know?" Magnus asked lightly. Alec shook his head.

Magnus took a deep breath and dug out a number of photos from his pocket, as well as his stele.

"What are you doing?" Alec frowned.

Magnus drew the fire message rune carefully at the back of each of the photos, and watched them blacken and curl up in flames with a sombre expression. "I promised him, you see," Magnus said with a heavy heart. "I promised him to give him some photos of Chairman, to help him keep himself under control. I'm not sure if they'll reach him this way, but I couldn't think of anything else. Do you think Marbas was lying about Malcolm's soul being doomed to Hell for eternity?"

"You can't save everyone, Magnus."

"You realise that, at this point, I've caused the death of almost every single person in my family," Magnus said. "My mother committed suicide because I wasn't enough to stop the pain of losing my father. My father was eaten by a serpent while trying to retrieve the thing I'd stolen from him. I burned my brother to death with heavenly fire. And Ragnor..."  

"Hey," Alec shushed him and pulled him close. "Stop that. None of that was your fault."

"Tell that to Raphael," Magnus mumbled into Alec's shoulder. 

"Raphael is angry, and grieving. He doesn't really mean what he's saying," Alec said soothingly. "I haven't been around shadowhunters much, but they were parabatai, right? They shared a part of their souls with each other. That can't be easy to get over."

"At least he's talking to Simon and Isabelle," Magnus said. "He won't even talk to Mrs F..."

"How's Catarina doing, though? You mentioned something about Ragnor and her...?"

"Oh, no. I can't believe I forgot all about that," Magnus said with a huff of amusement. "You know all those times Catarina said she had to stay back because of paperwork? Turns out, 'paperwork' is a girl named Maia, who works as a barista at Cat's favourite coffee place."

"Oh. So Cat, um..."

"Doesn't bat for the home team? Yeah. She told Ragnor, of course, after he confessed his feelings for her, but nobody else knew until recently." 

"A mundane girl?"

"Yes, but Cat told her the truth about the shadow world after... Malcolm happened. And apparently Maia is interested in Ascending. But I'll tell you about that later - the bank of the Styx isn't really my idea of a romantic dating spot."

Magnus walked up to the edge of the Styx. He sliced his palm, as Isabelle had did before, and let his blood drip into the black water. But before he could open his mouth to summon the serpent of the Styx, the great serpent burst out of the water.

_I know who you are, Nephilim. You are the one with the Heaven's fire in his veins. You are the destroyer of the demon Marbas._

Magnus blinked in surprise. "It's nice to be remembered."

_Why have you returned?_ the serpent asked, her gaze flicking to Alec, who was scowling at her.

"A promise is a promise. The jewel for the trip there, and the Sword for the trip back," Magnus explained. "Even though we didn't actually take that return trip..."

_You want the jewel back_ , the serpent guessed.

Magnus unstrapped the Sword from his back and held it out for her inspection. "Wouldn't this be more valuable to you? It can summon and control demons, even Greater Demons."

_I will take it, but only because it would be safer away from the world of men,_ the serpent agreed. _Though I would not say it was more valuable than a sister's sacrifice for her brother._

Rearing out of the water, the serpent opened her great maw and coughed - a red jewel flew out of her throat and onto the pebbled beach. Magnus nodded his thanks and threw the Sword into the air. The serpent caught it deftly in its jaws, then vanished beneath the water.

Magnus picked the jewel up with a clean cloth and held it out to Alec. "Are you planning to give this back to Isabelle?"

"I don't know," Alec sighed. "I was hoping it would help with restoring her powers, though, if she carried it on her."

"It'd look lovely on Isabelle as a necklace," Magnus agreed.

Alec took his hand, and they started on their journey home together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. 
> 
> Thank you, dear readers, for coming on this little journey with me, and thank you all for all your comments and reactions. I have loved sharing this story with you and you guys make it all worthwhile :) 
> 
> Some of you have asked if there's a continuation to this. At the moment I have finished what I planned for the main plot, although I do have bits that I didn't have the opportunity to explore, like side stories for the other characters. I know I've left this somewhat open-ended with some loose ends, but as I don't have enough for another 50k-word fic, I may write some short fics in this universe in future. (You can leave comments on what you'd like to see more of, and I'll take that into consideration!) 
> 
> Some of you probably know I also have a [ detective noir Malec AU series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/791394) going on, and I do have plans for another long fic that is still at research stage at the moment. So if you're interested in more of my writing, just check out my profile ;) 
> 
> In the meantime, you can find me on tumblr @la-muerta or on Twitter @tethysea.
> 
> Until next time! XOXO


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